New Delhi (NVI): India has approved Russian Covid vaccine Sputnik V for emergency use, as the country records a surge in daily positive cases under the second wave of coronavirus pandemic.
The Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) to the Russian anti-Covid vaccine comes on a day when the country reported 1,68,912 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, in biggest-ever one day spike.
The overall tally has now climbed to 13,527,717, according to the Union Health Ministry. The death toll has climbed to 1,70,179 with the novel coronavirus virus claiming 904 lives during this period, as per the Ministry.
The approval also comes on a day when India overtakes Brazil as the second worst-hit country in the world.
If Sputnik V is approved, then it will be the third vaccine to be used in India after Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. SII’s Covishield has been developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca.
According to reports, Sputnik V, manufactured in India by Dr Reddy’s, has the highest effectiveness — 91.6 per cent — after the Moderna and Pfizer Covid vaccines. Dr Reddy’s had applied for emergency use of the vaccine on February 19. It is in Phase 3 of clinical trials in India.
-ARK
