The first consignment carrying 150,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine has landed in Hyderabad, Dr Reddy’s Labs -- the licensed distributor of the vaccine in India -- announced on Saturday. The vaccine’s arrival is expected to boost India’s efforts to ramp up vaccination of its citizens even as limited supplies hit the third phase of the inoculation drive that started on May 1.
“We are pleased to announce that the first consignment of 150,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine has landed in Hyderabad from Russia. The rollout of the consignment will be subject to the necessary clearances, which will be processed over the next few days. This initial quantity will be used across different channels as a pilot to line up our supply chain for the larger vaccination programme rollout,” said Dr Reddy’s Labs in a statement.
Sputnik V was the third vaccine to be given approval in India after Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech manufactured Covaxin.
“... This is a reaffirmation of Dr Reddy’s commitment towards combating Covid-19 in India through our portfolio of therapeutics and vaccines,” said Deepak Sapra, chief executive officer, API and services, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund will supply about 125 million doses of the vaccine.
{{/usCountry}}The Russian Direct Investment Fund will supply about 125 million doses of the vaccine.
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday, France announced that it will provide India with 28 tonnes of medical equipment. A special cargo flight will reach New Delhi early on May 2 with the medical equipment worth more than Rs17 crore, including eight high capacity oxygen generator plants, the French embassy said.