Procurement by UNICEF under this agreement is conditional on the product achieving an Emergency Use Listing from WHO, to confirm the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine.
Representative image of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine
UNICEF and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), on May 27 announced a long-term agreement (LTA) for the supply of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.
This is the fourth long-term supply agreement UNICEF has signed with a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer. So far this year, UNICEF has signed such agreements with the Serum Institute of India, Pfizer and AstraZeneca.
Procurement by UNICEF under this agreement is conditional on the product achieving an Emergency Use Listing from WHO, to confirm the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine.
In addition, an Advance Purchase Agreement (APA) with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, will also be needed for procurement to begin on behalf of the COVAX Facility. Should the COVAX Facility decide to enter into an advance purchase agreement for the supply of the Sputnik V vaccine, UNICEF will be ready to deliver as soon as regulatory milestones have been met.
“At this point, UNICEF through this LTA, stands ready to access up to 220 million doses of the vaccine available for supply in 2021, to meet country demand,” UNICEF said in a statement.
The Sputnik V vaccine consists of two different components of the vaccine to be administered 21 days apart. An exact delivery schedule will be determined in collaboration with the manufacturer.
“UNICEF’s priority is to make sure that all countries have safe, fast and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccine and to help them prepare for the rollout of immunization,” the UN body said.
“The best way to bring the pandemic under control is to ensure that safe and effective vaccines are made available as widely as possible and as quickly as possible, reducing inequity by ensuring that no country or territory is left behind due to its economic status,” it added.
About 70 percent of the global supplies of Sputnik V vaccines will be supplied by Indian manufacturers. RDIF has tied up with six Indian drug makers to manufacture and supply the vaccine.
Viswanath Pilla is a business journalist with 14 years of reporting experience. Based in Mumbai, Pilla covers pharma, healthcare and infrastructure sectors for Moneycontrol.
