Over 40 mln doses of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine have been released for public distribution since the medication was registered in the country, Alexander Gitsburg, the Director of the Gamaleya Center, the vaccine developer, told reporters on Wednesday.
"So far, 40 mln vaccine doses have been released for public distribution, mass vaccination is underway," he pointed out.
According to Gintsburg, at least four facilities in Russia are producing Sputnik V. The country’s national healthcare watchdog and the Gamaleya center monitor the production quality based on 18 parameters.
August 11 marks one year since Russia registered Sputnik V, the world’s first vaccine against COVID-19. Russia began to provide the medication to other countries in late 2020, with Belarus being the first export destination. As of August 2021, Sputnik V was approved in 69 countries with a total population of over 3.7 bln. More than 50 countries are using the vaccine to inoculate their population.
