Sputnik V approved by SEC; India to get 3rd COVID-19 vaccine amid huge surge in cases

In a massive development on Monday,  Subject Expert Committee of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation recommended Emergency Use Authorization of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. If  Drugs Controller General of India accepts this recommendation, it will become 3rd approved COVID-19 vaccine in India after COVAXIN and COVISHIELD amid surging vel coronavirus cases. To be manufactured in India by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, this vaccine has shown efficacy of 91.6% in phase 3 trials. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin had anunced approval of Sputnik V on August 11, 2020, making it  first vaccine against COVID-19 to be approved in world. It has been named after world's first satellite launched by Soviet Union. Developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology along with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), it contains two different human common cold viruses which have been modified to make SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

When a vaccinated person comes into contact with COVID-19, body will have developed an immune response in form of antibodies to protect it against virus. Costing less than 10 US dollars for each dose of vaccine in international markets, dry form of Sputnik V can be stored at 2-8 degrees celsius. As per sources, more COVID-19 vaccines such as Johnson & Johnson vaccine, vavax vaccine, Zydus Cadila's vaccine and Bharat Biotech's Intranasal vaccine are also likely to receive Centre's d in upcoming months.

COVID-19 vaccination in India

On January 3,  Drugs Controller General of India accepted  recommendations of  Subject Expert Committee of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, paving way for  approval of COVISHIELD and COVAXIN. Manufactured by Serum Institute of India with techlogy transfer from Oxford University-AstraZeneca, COVISHIELD is a Recombinant Chimpanzee Adevirus vector vaccine with its overall efficacy of 70.42 per cent. On or hand, COVAXIN is a Whole Virion Inactivated Corona Virus Vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR and NIV.

While only healthcare and frontline workers were vaccinated at government facilities in initial phase, iculation drive was expanded to include people above 60 years of and those d above 45 years having comorbidities in second phase. From April 1 onwards, all persons above of 45 can have become eligible for iculation. Addressing all CMs on Thursday, PM Modi pitched a 'Tika Utsav' from April 11 to 14, requested states to focus on micro-containment zones and contact tracing and defended bar for vaccination.  A total of 9,20,19,734 persons have been iculated in India till w, 1,22,02,886 of m have received second dose of vaccine too.