India overtakes Brazil, govt moves to ease vax supply

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 12

India on Monday surpassed Brazil to record the second-highest number of Covid-19 cases at 1,35,27,717 even as a government expert panel on vaccines cleared Sputnik V for emergency use. A record 1,68,912 new infections were reported in a day. The US has the highest number of cases at 3,07,72,857. Active cases have now touched 12,01,009, which is 8.88 per cent of the total.

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Sputnik V shows 91.6% efficacy

• 98% volunteers showed humoral immune response
• 100% showed cellular immune response
• 1.3-1.5 times more antibodies produced than in recovered patients
• 94% adverse events mild
• Shows full protection against severe cases
• Based on a platform proven to be safe over decades of use
• No serious adverse events
• No strong allergies
• No anaphylactic shock

Experts at the national drug regulatory authority on Monday cleared Russia-made vaccine Sputnik V for emergency use at home.

Apex drug regulator, the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation, would soon grant a final approval, taking the number of vaccines available for emergency use to three after SII’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

Sputnik V will be imported from Russia and distributed through Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s Laboratories. Dr Reddy’s had, in September last, tied up with Russia’s Gamaleya National Research Centre to conduct bridging studies on Sputnik V among Indians. The India-specific data was studied by CDSCO experts today before recommending its emergency use.