Grenada signs Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine deal with Russia
/ Our Today
administratorDeal with RDIF allows for initial distribution of one million doses of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for CARICOM region
The Government of Grenada and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) – Russia’s sovereign wealth fund – have announced a COVID-19 cooperation agreement.
The agreement reached will facilitate the registration and distribution of the Russian made Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in Grenada and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region. Sputnik V adenovirus vector vaccine was developed by Russia’s Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology for SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19).
As part of the agreement signed yesterday, the parties agree to organise the initial supply of up to one million doses of the vaccine (one dose to be deemed to comprise injections of Ad5 and Ad26) to the region under the authorisation from the RFID and the Institute. Grenada will serve as a local centralised distribution point in the region and undertake the logistics and regulatory approval for the vaccine.
Derivatives of the Sputnik V vaccine
Derived from the human adenoviral vector-based platform, the Sputnik V vaccine uses two different vectors for the two shots of the vaccination. It provides immunity for longer than the vaccines with the same delivery mechanism for both shots.
The Sputnik V vaccine has been registered in more than 50 countries. Countries in North and South America, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Africa have made requests for more than 1.2 billion doses of the vaccine. As of February 2021, vaccination with Sputnik V has started or is starting in more than 20 countries besides Russia, including Argentina, Hungary, Bolivia, Algeria, Montenegro, Paraguay, Venezuela, and others.
Nickolas Steele, minister for health and social security of Grenada, expressed Grenada’s pleasure to partner with RDIF to bring the vaccine to CARICOM.
Steele points out that, “according to the data published in The Lancet medical journal, Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine appears safe and effective,” adding that “the Sputnik V vaccine could provide a credible option in our fight against COVID-19 in Grenada and the CARICOM”.
For his part, Oleg Firer, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Grenada, states that, ”the agreement between Grenada and the RDIF will help the CARICOM population obtain access to a coronavirus vaccine with an efficacy of almost 92 per cent created using a proven and well-studied platform of human adenovirus vectors.
He explains that Grenada’s diplomatic mission in Moscow is the only fully accredited mission of CARICOM in the Russian Federation and “we are proud of our accomplishment to deliver vital medicine to the region”.
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