Russia’s Covid-19 Sputnik V vaccine isn’t expected to be ready for shipment to the European Union any time before May or June.
“Large deliveries to the EU are only possible after the end of mass vaccinations in Russia,” Kirill Dmitriev, director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, told a Russian state television programme.
The fund is responsible for the international marketing of the vaccine, which has already been approved by - and is being used in - other countries.
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The vaccine, which requires two doses, has not yet been approved for use in the EU.
If it is, its use could help the EU cope with a shortage that is leading to growing frustration among member countries. A recent delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Belgium contained fewer doses than expected due to delivery issues at the EU level.
Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is over 91% effective against the virus, according to a study published last week in the medical journal The Lancet, placing its efficacy close to that of Moderna’s and BioNTech/Pfizer’s.
Helen Lyons
The Brussels Times
