Amid shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, Niti Aayog's Dr VK Paul said that the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V will be available for use from next week.
"Sputnik vaccine has arrived in India. I'm happy to say that we're hopeful that it'll be available in the market next week. We're hopeful that the sale of the limited supply that has come from there (Russia), will begin next week," said Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog.
He added that further supply will also follow. "Its production will begin in July and it is estimated that 15.6 crore doses will be manufactured in that period," he said.
As many as 150,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine first consignment landed here from Russia on Saturday, Dr Reddys Laboratories said.
The drug maker, which has tied up with Russian Direct Investment Fund for the vaccine, said in a statement that the initial quantity will be used across different channels as a pilot to line up the supply chain for the larger vaccination program rollout.
Subsequent consignments will arrive in the next few weeks, it further said.
In September 2020, Dr. Reddys and RDIF entered into a partnership to conduct clinical trials of theSputnikV, developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the rights for distribution of the first 100 million doses in India.
Later it was enhanced to 125 million.
Dr Reddys has already received approval from Indian drug regulator for restricted emergency use ofSputnik V.
