New Delhi: The Russian Ambassador has formally approached India for the coronavirus vaccine – Sputnik V. Russia sought to collaborate for the mass production of the Covid-19 vaccine – Sputnik V and has also expressed its willingness to share data with India.
Sources in the government said that Russian ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev has recently contacted principal scientific adviser to the Government of India K Vijay Raghavan and secretaries of department of health research Dr. Balram Bhargava, and biotechnology Ranu Swarup in this regard.
India had earlier said that it is closely monitoring all aspects of the development of the Russian COVID 19 vaccine.
Significantly, the Indian Embassy in Moscow has already engaged with the Gamaleya National Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, which has developed the vaccine for more efficacy and safety data on the vaccine.
"We are looking into all aspects very carefully before confirming anything as far as collaboration and further initiative on SputnikV is concerned," said a senior health ministry official.
However, the production and manufacturing of the Russian COVID 19 vaccine in India will start once it gets the nod from India's apex drug regulator (DCGI).
"Any of the vaccine coming from abroad need to undergo safety and efficacy trial in India," officials said.
SputnikV is tagged as the world's first registered COVID 19 vaccine. However, Russia is yet to share the data for the vaccine with other countries and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Though the vaccine came under severe criticism, Russian President Vladimir Putin's daughter was the first recipient of the vaccine. Russia claimed that phase 1 and 2 clinical trial of the vaccine have been completed on August 1.
"All the volunteers are feeling well, no unforeseen of unwanted side effects were observed," the Russian government said.
It further said that post-registration clinical trials involving more than 40,000 people in Russia will be launched from August 24. "A number of countries such as UAE, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, and possibly India or Brazil will join the clinical trials of SputnikV locally," it said.
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