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Amid a shortage of vaccines in the second wave of COVID-19, the government is now expecting a speedy launch of Sputnik Light – Russia’s single-dose vaccine – in India, reported PTI. Stakeholders have been told to ensure fast-track of approval procedures.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced on 6 May that they have authorised the single-dose vaccine. It has been developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, and the RDIF has said that it has an efficacy of 79.4 percent.
Sputnik Light could become India’s first single-dose vaccine and prove effective in vaccinating large populations, in the face of the high number of infections seen in the second wave.
The Gamaleya Centre has also claimed that as per lab tests, the vaccine is effective against the new strains of COVID-19.
In the next couple of weeks, an application seeking regulatory approval for the vaccine is expected to be filed with the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), reported The Indian Express.
It was suggested in a meeting chaired by the Cabinet Secretary last week that a meeting must be convened with all stakeholders, including the Department of Biotechnology Secretary, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), the Ministry of External Affairs representatives, the Union Health Ministry officials, the RDIF, and domestic manufacturers, to accelerate the procedure for regulatory approvals, the report said.
(With inputs from PTI and The Indian Express.)
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