Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus will soon be available at government-run vaccination centres, chairman of Centre's COVID-19 working group Dr NK Arora has said.
Sputnik V is currently being administered only in private hospitals but depending upon its supply, a free vaccination programme will soon be offered, the doctor added.
The first foreign-made vaccine to be introduced in India was soft-launched in Hyderabad in the month of May at a maximum retail price of INR 995.40 per dose, inclusive of GST.
Speaking on the pace of vaccination in India, Arora said that the programme would be streamlined in the coming week.
Besides scaling up the production of Covaxin and Covishield, the addition of Sputnik V and the impending rollout of Moderna and Zydus Cadila’s new shot is expected to boost daily coverage from 50 lakh a day to 80 lakh and even 1 crore in the coming weeks.
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More than 34 crore vaccine doses had been administered so far, and another 12 to 16 crore should be administered by July-end. The target is to cover everyone over 18 by the end of this year.
Sputnik V requires a storage temperature of -18°C, Arora said adding that cold chain facilities preserving polio vaccines would be used to store Sputnik V, a plan that will also ensure it reaches the country’s rural areas.
Also Read: Covaxin, Covishield or Sputnik V? AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria on which vaccine is most effective
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