Vietnam to Buy Sputnik V Vaccines From Russia

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In an interview for Sputnik, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia, Dang Minh Khoi, said the Russian Direct Investment Fund reached a purchase agreement with the Vietnamese T&T Group on Russia's Sputnik V, although the vaccine did not receive official recognition from the World Health Organization.

As per the agreement, Vietnam would obtain COVID-19 vaccines from Russia throughout 2021.

"T&T Group and the Russian Foreign Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) have reached an agreement to supply Vietnam with the Sputnik V vaccine in 2021," Khoi told Sputnik.

The ambassador revealed that the two sides are working to develop a delivery schedule that suits Russia's production capacity and Vietnam's receiving capacity.

He also noted that in the upcoming period, the Southeastern country has plans to consider several other Russian indigenous COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use approval.

Russia has registered 4 vaccines thus far, the well-known Sputnik V with an efficacy rate of 97.2%, the single-dose Sputnik Light, EpiVacCorona, and CoviVac. However, only the high-efficacy Sputnik is being manufactured in volumes sufficient for export.

Despite its high efficacy rate exceeding that of well-renowned Western vaccines, the WHO and the European Union are yet to recognize Sputnik V. This sparked calls for mutual recognition of vaccines approved at a state level from Russia during the 76th UNGA session.

Last week, Vietnam's health ministry granted the Cuban Abdala vaccine an emergency use approval under a government decree.

All of Vietnam, Argentina, and Mexico have expressed hopes to produce the Cuban Abdala, Soberana 2, and Soberana Plus vaccine, while several countries are using other Cuban drugs in their protocols to treat COVID-19.