India to manufacture about 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses of Sputnik V in 2021

CEO of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev has announced that India is planning to manufacture around 300 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine next year. “In India, we have agreements with four large manufacturers. India will produce about 300 million doses or more of the vaccine for us next year,” Kirill Dmitriev told Tass News Agency in an interview, adding that production was set to commence in early 2021.

The RDIF CEO further added that out of 110 production sites that negotiated production of the Russian coronavirus vaccine, RDIF has finalised 10 that meet its requirements. “The Russian Sputnik V will be actively produced in the world and we see that this is built on a safe platform based on the human adenovirus,” Dmitriev added.

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A few days back, Russia said the interim results from the Sputnik V clinical trials have concluded that the COVID-19 vaccine was 95% effective, similar to other international vaccine makers that have also published test results reflecting efficacy rates of 90% and higher. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) cited President Vladimir Putin on Twitter and reported that some health specialists have claimed that the vaccine’s protection level goes up to 96-97%.

Earlier on Thursday, Putin said he was yet to be administered the Sputnik V but that he would do so when possible. Russia made the Sputnik V jab available to medics and other frontline workers in Moscow this month, and over 200,000 people have already been vaccinated in the country.

Meanwhile, Russia has also said the Sputnik V vaccine will be amounting to $10 per dose on international markets, costing lower than some other registered coronavirus vaccines.