Moscow: In a significant development, Russia has released its indigenous Sputnik V vaccine has been released into civil circulation, said the Russian Health Ministry. The vaccine has been developed by Russia’s Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
“The first batch of the ‘Gam-COVID-Vac’ (Sputnik V) vaccine for the prevention of the new coronavirus infection, developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia, has passed the necessary quality tests in the laboratories of Roszdravnadzor (medical device regulator) and has been released into civil circulation,” the ministry said in a statement.
The world’s first vaccine against coronavirus, Sputnik V was registered on 11 August. Countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Philippines, Mexico, Brazil and India, have expressed their interest in obtaining the vaccine.
Plans include ramping up production of the vaccine to 200 million doses by the end of 2020, including 30 million in Russia, reported Sputnik.
