Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine approved by government panel for emergency use in India
An expert committee of the government has approved the Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V for emergency use in India. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) will take a final call on the recommendation.
Sputnik V has demonstrated an efficacy rate of 91.6 per cent in the interim analysis of phase 3 clinical trial, which included data on 19,866 volunteers in Russia. In September last year, Dr Reddy's partnered with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to conduct clinical trials of Sputnik V and for its distribution rights in India.
If approved, Sputnik V will be the third COVID-19 vaccine to be available in India. The DCGI has already given nod to two COVID-19 vaccines -- Covaxin of Bharat Biotech and Covishield of Oxford-AstraZeneca, being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated and vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for those over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. India launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 from April 1.
According to a PTI report, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country till Sunday stands at 10,43,65,035.
