EU to Use Russia’s Sputnik V Amid Vaccine Shortages

By Ahmed Rahma

The European Union (EU) may be left with no other choice than to use the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Russia called Sputnik V.

The regional bloc had paid €336 million for guaranteed orders for vaccines manufactured by AstraZeneca, but after the drugmaker said it may no longer supply the jabs as the time earlier agreed, the EU became and threatened to sue.

“We want our contract to be fully fulfilled,” the EU Health Commissioner, Ms Stella Kyriakides, had told AstraZeneca, emphasising that, “This new schedule is not acceptable to the European Union.”

As part of efforts to look for an alternative, the region is looking to turn to Russia and would go for the Sputnik V, a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Rearch Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. It was registered on August 11, 2020, by the Russian Ministry of Health as Gam-COVID-Vac.

When it was first released last year, there were doubts about the claims by the Russian government about its efficacy, though some observers said this was purely political.

But the EU might have a strong faith in the drug produced by one of its members, especially at a time supplies from the trusted makers are very short and would be receiving about 100 million doses in the second quarter of 2021.

As two shots are needed for immunity, the amount to be delivered would be used to inoculate 50 million people.

The vaccine, which is awaiting the approval of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), can only be used in the EU when it is approved by the agency.

However, 1.5 million people have received two shots each in Russia.

According to the manufacturer, Sputnik V has been approved in 15 countries around the world, including Hungary, which became the first EU member to approve the jab last week.