The Union ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) on Thursday announced that Russia's Sputnik V vaccine will be made available in Indian markets from next week.
"We hope the Sputnik V vaccine will be available in the market by next week," VK Paul said.
Sputnik V has been developed by Russia's Gamaleya National Center and it will be the third vaccine that will be added to the nation's immunization drive.
Sputnik V which is being manufactured by Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy's Laboratories in India was given emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in April, amid a startling increase in fresh Covid-19 infections in the country.
Announcing at the health ministry's press briefing on the Covid-19 situation in the country, Dr VK Paul, member, NITI Aayog, further said the local production of Sputnik V, often called the world's first vaccine against the viral disease, will begin in July.
Presently, two covid vaccines - Covishield by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) and Covaxin produced by Bharat Biotech International Limited -Hyderabad, are a part of India’s national vaccination programme and so far over 17 crores, people have been vaccinated in the country.
"Sputnik V is a two-dose vaccine taken at a gap of three weeks. The unique feature of it is that the antigens in the first and second dose are different from each other. In other vaccines, both doses are the same."
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"India will examine the claim that a single dose of Russian vaccine ‘Sputnik Light’ can protect from the novel coronavirus infection,” Paul added.
"In the case of Sputnik Light, they (developers) are saying that the first dose is enough. We are examining this claim. We will go through its data and immunogenicity, and after that, we will see. Let more information come in," Paul said.
In response to a question, if Sputnik Light will be used in India for vaccination, Paul noted that if the claims of the vaccine developer are true, it can help double the speed of vaccination in India. "… it is very promising if there is protection from single dosage as they have claimed. It is very encouraging and makes us feel very optimistic. Single-dose vaccines can increase the speed of vaccination, but the merit and the processing of their request, as and when it comes, will be based on scientific data and information," he stated.