India on Saturday received the initial batch of 1,50,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine even as the nation is battling a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Three million further doses of the Russian vaccine are scheduled to arrive this month, and yet another 5 million by June.
The vaccines will be delivered to Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, which has joined hands with Russian Direct Investment Fund to generate the vaccine in India. The Drugs Controller General of India on April 13 had granted permission to Sputnik V vaccine for restricted use in emergency conditions.
The ministry of external affairs stated in a statement on Twitter: “Sputnik-V vaccine arrives in Hyderabad from Russia! Will add to arsenal to fight the pandemic. This third option will augment our vaccine capacity & accelerate our vaccination drive.”
“This is the 1st consignment of 1.5 lakh doses of Sputnik-V vaccine with millions of doses to follow. Plans to ‘Make in India’ for use in & 3rd countries. Deeply value support from long-standing friend Russia,” the statement added.
Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay R Kudashev tweeted: “As Russia and India continue dedicated joint efforts to combat the COVID19, this move is especially important to support the Indian Government’s endeavors to mitigate the deadly second wave and save lives…”
The Sputnik V vaccine, created by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia, underlines India’s want to address an acute shortage of vaccines for its ailing citizens — on Saturday, India reported more than 4 lakh new infections. The arrival of Sputnik V also marks the launch of third phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive in India to cover persons in the 18-44 year age group.
The delivery of the Sputnik V vaccine is an essential step in the India-Russia joint fight against the coronavirus threat and in maintaining with commitment of assistance by President Vladimir Putin to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the course of a current phone conversation. India had authorized emergency supplies of hydroxychloroquine to Russia when the pandemic unfolded last year.
On Thursday, two Russian flights with oxygen concentrators, lung ventilation gear, bedside monitors, medicines, like Coronavir, and other critical pharmaceutical things had arrived in India as element of a increasing international work to aid the nation battle a second and more deadly Covid-19 wave.
PTI adds: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in a tweet on Saturday stated that Hyderabad customs expedited the clearance of the COVID-19 vaccine imported from Russia.
“Hyderabad Customs, @cgstcushyd facilitated expeditious clearance of #SputnikV Vaccine imported from Russia,” the CBIC tweeted. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a tweet stated: “Appropriate timely response @cgstcushyd. Need of the hour.”