Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine.
As the country ramp up efforts to vaccinate majority of population as soon as possible, Apollo Hospitals Executive Vice-chairperson Shobana Kamineni on Thursday said that Sputnik V, the third vaccine approved in India will be available through the Apollo Hospitals from the second week of June."
Meanwhile, the manufacturing of Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine will start soon in India as the country has accomplished technology-transfer to Indian companies, said Dr Vinod K Paul, chair of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) on Thursday.
Paul made the announcement while clearing the myth that the Centre is not doing enough to buy vaccines from abroad.
Paul said the Central government has also proactively eased entry of vaccines approved by the US FDA, EMA, UK's MHRA and Japan's PMDA, and WHO's Emergency Use Listing into India in April.
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He said these vaccines will not need to undergo prior bridging trials as the provision has now been further amended to waive off the trial requirement altogether for the well-established vaccines manufactured in other countries.
"No application of any foreign manufacturer for approval is pending with the drugs controller," Paul, Member (Health) in NITI Aayog, further said.
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