Sputnik V To Be Initially Offered In Private Hospitals; State Govts Will Have To Wait Till June To Place Orders: Report

Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine will only be available in private hospitals for now, and the state governments will have to wait till June to be able to place their orders for the doses, reports Economic Times.

Several private hospital operators like Max Healthcare are already said to be in talks with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories to procure the vaccine supplies. These are expected to launch the vaccine for those in the 18-44 age group by next week. Meanwhile, state governments are only expected to receive the jabs by end of June.

The same has been confirmed by Rajiv Arora who is Haryana’s Additional Chief Secretary (Health and Family Welfare). Arora said that the state government had held discussions with the company and that Dr Reddy’s Laboratories told it that the state governments can place the orders next month and would get supply only later.

To be imported in India initially, a dose of the Russian vaccine has been priced at Rs 995.4 including GST. The soft-launche of the Sputnik V, first foreign made vaccine to be approved for use in India, was conducted yesterday (14 May) in Hyderabad. The prices of the jab are likely to come down once Indian production begins.

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories is expected to import about six million doses of the vaccine in May, 10 million doses in June and 20 million doses in July. Thereafter, the imports will stop in August as the company increases the domestic production of the vaccine.