Blood samples from recipients of both doses of Sputnik showed that the vaccine was 6 times less effective against the Beta variant in laboratory tests.
Swaminathan warned that it will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start deciding ‘when and who should be taking a second, third or fourth dose’.
Not many are taking the Sputnik V vaccine with the low numbers being blamed on Russians’ distrust of officialdom dating back to the Soviet era and doubts over the vaccine.
Pakistan has already ordered 1.2 million doses of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, with deliveries to start 31 January. It has also given approval to AstraZeneca shot for private use.
No safety concerns identified during Sputnik V mid-stage trial, data has been submitted to Drugs Controller General of India for a review, Dr. Reddy’s says in a statement.
Russia hasn’t released late-stage phase 3 data on its vaccine. That said, what we do know about Sputnik V and its design should give us some degree of confidence.
Putin has pushed inoculation since touting Russia’s approval of Sputnik V in Aug as the globe’s first Covid shot. But many nations have been unwilling to give it fast-track approval.
Argentina joins North America, EU, UK, China and Chile in offering preventive shots. It also boosts Russia’s attempts to push the vaccine into developing nations.
The collusion between the new class of bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen and trade union bosses perpetuates itself partly because of the short-run benefits and partly because they see no way out of the system, wrote author MH Mody in 1980.
IAF is firming up plans to revamp airlift capabilities with medium transport aircraft that will be assembled in India & serve as its main workhorse. Embraer is leading contender as of now.
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