Delhi, Punjab looking forward to Sputnik V amid Covid-19 vaccine shortage

The government earlier said that Sputnik V is likely to be available in the Indian market in the coming week. One dose of this vaccine at present will be sold to states and private hospitals at ₹995.4, including GST.

As Russia-made Sputnik V is likely to be available in the Indian market from the upcoming week, states are hopeful to bring back speed to their vaccination drive which, at present, is suffering in want of vaccine stocks. The second batch of Sputnik V, containing 60,000 vaccine doses, arrived in Hyderabad on Sunday. The first consignment of 1.50 lakh doses arrived in India on May 1.

The second consignment of the Sputnik V vaccine arrived at Shamshabad airport on Sunday.

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday asked government officials to explore whether Sputnik V can be procured as used for the inoculation of people between the age group of 18 and 44 years.

While the imported doses are likely to be available in the coming week, Dr Reddy's Laboratories will be manufacturing the vaccine soon — tentatively from July.

According to the agreement between Dr Reddy's Laboratories and the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the Indian company is expecting 36 million doses from Russia in several tranches. According to the health ministry's estimate, 15.6 crore doses of the Sputnik vaccine will be available in India between August and December 2021.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said his government has written to Dr Reddy's Laboratories asking by what time it will be able to supply 67 lakh doses to the Capital.

Sputnik V is the third vaccine approved to be administered and sold in India, after Serum Institute's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

The vaccine has recently been soft-launched in India, as Dr Reddy's administered the first jab on May 14. This vaccine uses two different vectors for the two shots and its efficacy, according to the Lancet, is 91.6 per cent.

The vaccine is presently priced at ₹995.4 per dose, including GST, which makes it cheaper than Covaxin for private hospitals. Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is priced at ₹1,200 for private hospitals. Sputnik V doses that will be produced in the country may cost less, Dr Reddy's has said.

(With agency inputs)