First consignment of 150,000 doses of Sputnik V arrives in India

HYDERABAD: The first consignment of 150,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine landed in Hyderabad from Russia, Dr Reddy's Laboratories announced on Saturday.

A special cargo flight carrying the first consignment landed at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

Hyderabad Customs facilitated expeditious clearance of the vaccines imported from Russia.

The rollout of the consignment will be subject to the necessary clearances, which will be processed over the next few days, Dr Reddy's said in a statement.

"This initial quantity will be used across different channels as a pilot to line up our supply chain for the larger vaccination program rollout," it added.

Subsequent consignments will arrive in the next few weeks.

"First batch of Sputnik V has arrived in Hyderabad. That's the same day the country starts mass Covid vaccination drive covering entire adult population. Let's jointly defeat this pandemic. Together we are stronger," tweeted Sputnik V.

Last month, the Indian regulators granted regulatory approval or restricted use authorization to Sputnik V.

With an efficacy of 91.6 per cent, Sputnik V was the first vaccine against Covid-19 in the world.

Clinical trial data published in The Lancet indicated that the vaccine appears safe and effective.

Sputnik V will be the third vaccine to be cleared for use in India at a time when the country is in the grip of an intense second wave and demand for vaccines has shot up.

Dr Reddy's top executives recently hinted that Sputnik V Covid vaccine will be sold at $10 (around Rs 750) a dose in India.

The company has entered into an agreement with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for import of 125 million people equivalent doses. (IANS)

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