India To Get Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine Not Before End Of May

New Delhi: The government approved Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on April 12, but it won’t be before end of May that India will receive the Russia-developed vaccine.

“We are targeting to have the first batches imported by (fiscal) Q1, and are trying our best to have them by end-May,” a spokesman of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories – the local distributors here – was quoted as saying by Reuters.

India’s ambassador to Russia Bala Venkatesh Varma had said last week that delivery of Sputnik V to India was expected to begin in April itself, TASS news agency reported.

Sputnik V, expected to be the third vaccine to be used in India’s vaccination drive, will also be made in India by 5 firms, including Dr Reddy’s. But initially it will be imported.

“We expect the India-made vaccine to start being available from the second quarter of the fiscal (year),” said the spokesperson.

Also Read: Indian Drugmaker To Produce 200 Million Doses Of Russian Sputnik V COVID Vaccine