COVID-19: Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be available at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi from today. This Russian-made vaccine has been developed by Russia’s Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy's Laboratories has partnered with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for the roll out of the two-dose vaccine in India.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

See Zee Business Live TV Streaming Below:

Availability
According to an ANI report, sources said that the program for Sputnik V roll out at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital will depend on the consignment received. As many as 1000 doses of Sputnik V reached the Apollo Hospital on June 13, 2021, and out of these 179 have been administered to the employees of Dr Reddy's lab. The first phase of the Sputnik V roll-out by the Apollo Hospitals and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories started on a pilot basis on May 17, 2021, in Hyderabad and May 18, 2021, in Vishakhapatnam. The Sputnik V vaccine is also reportedly available at Continental Hospitals in Hyderabad apart from the Apollo Hospitals.

Efficacy
While speaking about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines at a special programme on DD News on June 6, 2021, Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), said, "Data available till now shows clearly that efficacy of all vaccines - whether COVAXIN, COVISHIELD or Sputnik V - are more or less equivalent. We should not hence say take this vaccine or that vaccine, whichever vaccine is available in your area, please go ahead and get yourself vaccinated so that you and your family are safe."

He further informed that one should not judge the efficacy of the vaccines only by the amount of antibodies getting generated. He said that Vaccines give many types of protection - such as through antibodies, cell-mediated immunity and memory cells (which generate more antibodies when one gets infected.

Notably, on June 10, 2021, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced that the efficacy of the Sputnik V vaccine during a vaccination campaign by Bahrain's Ministry of Health was estimated to be 94.3 per cent as per the ANI report.

Price
The price of each dose of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine at private hospitals has been capped by the central government at Rs 1,145.

On Sunday, 179 doses of Sputnik V vaccine were administered on the employees of Dr. Reddy's Lab at Delhi's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, as per ANI report.