Sputnik V second dose shortage to delay India's full rollout

Exclusive - Sputnik V second dose shortage to delay India's full rollout - Dr Reddy's India's full rollout of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine will have to be put on hold until the Russian producer provides equal quantities of its two differing doses, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd said on Monday. Krishna N. Das U.S.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India’s full rollout of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine will have to be put on hold until the Russian producer provides equal quantities of its two differing doses, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd said on Monday.

Dr. Reddy’s had received about 3 million first doses by June 1 and about 360,000 doses of the second by early this month, the company and the Indian government have said.

“As a matter of responsibility, we would not like to announce a full-fledged commercial launch until we have an equivalent quantity (of the second dose),” Dr. Reddy’s said in an e-mail to Reuters.

Dr. Reddy’s, which originally planned a full rollout in mid-June, is currently running a pilot programme under which more than 195,000 doses have been administered at hospitals across the country. ...

The Indian government expects 100 million locally produced and imported Sputnik V doses to be available in the country between August and December. India is expected to be one of the biggest manufacturing hubs of the vaccine. ...