Representative image of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine COVID-19Live bseVolume Todays L/H - nse Live Volume TodaysDr Reddy's stated that there has been a slight delay in the commercial launch date of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccination due to India's dependence on imported consignments and quality testing in India. This statement has implications for India’s vaccination drive.The Hyderabad-based drug manufacturer didn't give a date for the commercial launch of the Russian vaccine, which was one of three approved for emergency use in India.According to a spokesperson for the company, "Our cold storage and other logistics arrangements are being implemented in accordance with our commercialisation strategy and are on track with zero issues," she stated on June 29.This delay occurs at a moment when India plans to intensify its vaccine drive to inoculate all eligible persons by 2021. To meet the ambitious goal, Dr Reddy's will be manufacturing in India the Russia-made Sputnik vaccination.According to reports, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has begun investigating delays in the supply of Covaxin doses and has spoken with Bharat Biotech about the matter.COVID-19 Vaccine Commonly Asked Questions View More How does a vaccine function? The vaccine mimics a natural infection. A vaccine induces an immune response that protects people against future COVID-19 infections. It also builds herd immunity quickly to end the pandemic. A vaccine induces immunity in a sufficient number of people to prevent the spread of a disease from person-to-person. Good news is that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was relatively stable which makes it more likely that a vaccine will be developed. There are many vaccines. There are four main types of vaccine. One is a vaccine that is based on the entire virus. Two is a vaccine that is based on a vector that contains the antigen of SARS.CoV. Three are nucleic-acid vaccines with genetic material such as DNA and RNA of the antigens. Four are protein subunit vaccines. These vaccines contain the recombinant protein of SARS.COV-2 and an adjuvant (booster). How long does it take for a vaccine to be developed? The process of developing a vaccine is complex and long. Vaccines are not given to patients with a specific disease, but are administered to healthy people as well as to vulnerable groups such children and pregnant women. It is mandatory to undergo rigorous testing. Although five years is the fastest time to develop a vaccine, it often takes twice as long or more. See moreCovishield is the Indian name for AstraZeneca Oxford university vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India.Three million Sputnik doses have already arrived in India. The second shipment is expected to arrive by June. According to the company, it keeps government officials, media and members in the public informed on a regular basis.Dr Reddy's in India is the brand custodian for the Sputnik V vaccine. According to an agreement with the Russian sovereign fund RDIF, Dr Reddy's has sole distribution rights for India's first 250 million doses.Sputnik V costs Rs 995 per dose, including GSTTo ensure a faster rollout, the first 50 million jabs will come from Russia before Indian pharma firms start making Sputnik V.COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: Everything you need to know about pricing and manufacturing"We have partnered extensively with hospitals across the country. The company stated that several partners had successfully administered Sputnik V as part of the pilot phase. They also did limited stock pilot rolls-outs to the general public in different cities.The pilot soft launch of Sputnik V in India, which was initiated by Dr. Reddys at Hyderabad on May 14, has been scaled up successfully to Vizag and Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata, Vijayawada and Vijayawada.Also, read: COVID-19 vaccine "Sputnik V" delayed in Delhi-NCRAccording to the company, the final leg of its pilot phase will see it reach 28 cities.It stated that the pilot phase allowed them to test cold storage arrangements at -18 degrees Celsius in these cities, CoWIN integration and track-and trace, as well as other logistical arrangements, before launching commercially.The statement stated that adequate numbers of cold chains units were being deployed and that the last-mile cold channel arrangement was being validated at each partner hospital in order to ensure seamless storage of the vaccine.
