Kremlin: Russia has not yet provided part of data on Sputnik V to WHO

Russia has not yet provided part of information required for the certification of its Sputnik V jab against the coronavirus by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to inconsistency in standards, but the process is underway, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday, adding that Moscow expects the issue to be solved positively.

"The work [on procedure of vaccine’s approval by WHO] is underway there, indeed, we have not yet provided some information that should be submitted for certification, due to different understanding, which information in particular [should be provided] and how it should be provided, we have various standards and so on," he explained. "That is why we are gradually adjusting to those requirements," Peskov noted, adding that Moscow "expects a positive result of this work."

Asked whether the Kremlin is concerned over a long process of the vaccine’s approval, the Kremlin spokesman replied in the negative.

Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Economic Cooperation Department Dmitry Birichevsky said earlier in December that the ministry expected the World Health Organization to approve the Sputnik V vaccine in first half of the next year, adding that there was only technical paperwork left to approve the vaccine.