Pakistan approves Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has approved the Russian anti-coronavirus vaccine Gam-COVID-Vac, also known as Sputnik V, for emergency use.

According to details, the registration board of the DRAP in its 299th meeting on Friday, had granted ‘emergency use authorization’ (EUA) to the Russian vaccine.

The concerned authorities have told that the first batch of the vaccine would reach Pakistan by the end of January.

Last week, the authority had approved Oxford–AstraZeneca and China's Sinopharm vaccines for emergency use. However, the country is yet to receive any vaccine.

"A local pharmaceutical firm, AGP Limited, had applied for registration, marketing and distribution of the vaccine in Pakistan,” the DRAP official said.

The health authority said the approval was granted on the recommendation of a committee of experts comprising top infectious diseases experts and pathologists.

"In all likelihood, a double dose of the Sputnik V in Pakistan would cost double the rate at which it is available in India," the official added.

Developed by M/s Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, the vaccine has been approved in 11 countries, including Russia, Argentina, Hungary, and UAE, and registration in the European Union has also been filed.