Scheduled launch of Sputnik V vaccine put off in Bengaluru

Manipal has priced Sputnik V at Rs 1,145 per dose, as per the cap set by the Central Government

Manipal Hospitals, the first private medical centre in Karnataka to get the supply of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine, postponed the launch of the vaccination on Friday, saying it hadn't yet received supplies of the second dose.

The vaccine doses come in two colours (blue and red) to be given 21 days apart. Until the supplies of the second dose are guaranteed, the hospital said, it could not administer the first dose. The hospital has priced Sputnik V at Rs 1,145 per dose, as per the cap set by the Central Government.

The hospital said in a statement: "It is unfortunate that owing to the unavailability of dose 2 stocks of Sputnik V, we had to postpone the commercial launch of the vaccine at our facility. Unlike other vaccines, Sputnik comes with two different vaccines for dose 1 and 2 and it is highly recommended to be administered with an interval of 21 days.

"Hence, we arrived at a decision of postponing the vaccination drive until we manage to store an adequate amount of second doses of Sputnik to avoid any risk factor. We are exploring various options to reschedule the vaccination drive of Sputnik V for the general public at the earliest.”

Also read; In 5 months, 5% target population fully vaccinated in India

The Private Hospitals' and Nursing Homes' Association (PHANA) has approached the state government to facilitate the supply of Sputnik V, as was the case with Covishield and Covaxin. It would be better if the supply of Sputnik V is also routed through the state government, it said.

PHANA president Dr H M Prasanna told DH: "We have sent indents from individual hospitals to the health department for all the three brands of Covid vaccine (Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V). But it's not clear when the government of Karnataka will get the supplies of Sputnik V."

He said attempts by PHANA and AHPI (Association of Healthcare Providers of India) to procure the vaccine from Dr Reddy's Laboratories didn't succeed. Some private hospitals also reached out to the Hyderabad-based drug maker individually.

The PHANA chief said that since Sputnik V vaccines need to be stored at minus 18 degrees Celsius, suitable freezers were available in the market for Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000. The association has contacted the vendors to supply the freezers to small hospitals.