Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, the Indian partner of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), on Friday said it had launched Sputnik V in India. The first dose was administered in Hyderabad on Friday.
Sputnik V is currently the second most expensive Coronavirus jab in India. The vaccine, which was imported from Russia, has been priced at Rs 948 per dose. Including 5 per cent GST, the vaccine is available at Rs 995.40 per dose.
We know the country is currently administering Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. Significantly, Sputnik V has an efficiency of over 91 per cent, which is higher than the two Covid vaccines that are currently being administered in India.
As per reports, the first batch of imported doses of Sputnik V vaccine landed in India on May 1 and received regulatory clearance from the Central Drugs Laboratory at Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh on May 13.
In a statement, Dr Reddy’s said it will work closely with stakeholders in the government and private sector to ensure the widest possible reach of the Sputnik V vaccine as part of the national inoculation effort.