India will receive the first batch of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19 on May 1, told the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev to Reuters on Monday.
He further said, how many vaccines would be in the first batch or where they would be made.
India is currently in the grip of a second wave of the pandemic and witnessing a surge in coronavirus infections that are overwhelming hospitals, and countries like Britain, Germany and the United States have pledged to send urgent medical help.
Dmitriev hoped Russian supplies would help India navigate its way out of the pandemic in time. He said, “The first doses will be delivered on May 1.”
RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund that is marketing Sputnik V globally, has already signed agreements with five leading Indian manufacturers for over 850 million doses of the vaccine a year.
It is expected that the production of the vaccine in India will reach 50 million doses a month by the summer and to rise further.
The World Health Organization chief described the situation in the world’s second-most populous country as “beyond heartbreaking” as the WHO was planning to provide extra staff and supplies including oxygen concentrator devices.
Earlier on Monday, Russian pharmaceutical firm Pharmasyntez said that it was ready to ship up to 1 million packs of the remdesivir antiviral drug to India by end-May, once it has received the approval of Russia’s government.
