In a first, Russia registers nasal version of Sputnik V Covid vaccine

Russian Health Ministry has registered the nasal version of Sputnik V, the world's first nasal vaccine against COVID-19.

"Russian Health Ministry registers the nasal version of Sputnik V, the world's first nasal vaccine against COVID-19," Sputnik V tweeted on late Friday.

In January, the Russian news agency TASS reported that the nasal vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection will be in civil circulation and available for Russians within three to four months, quoting the director of the Gamaleya Centre, Alexander Gintsburg.

"The nasal vaccine for the civil circulation will be available in three to four months," the Director had said.

It will be efficient against the new Omicron coronavirus strain, Gintsburg said.

"Laboratory tests show the Sputnik V protects against the Omicron in its ordinary injection form, and it will certainly be efficient in the nasal form," he added, according to TASS.

In October last year, the Russian Ministry of Health issued the authorization to the Gamaleya Centre for the second phase of clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine in the nasal spray form.

The Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine was administered first in India in Hyderabad in May 2021. The first consignment of 1.50 lakh doses of Sputnik-V vaccine landed in India on May 1. The Sputnik-V vaccines have been delivered to India by Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) in collaboration with Dr Reddy's Laboratories.

"The Sputnik-V vaccine, which arrived in Hyderabad from Russia, will add to the country's vaccine arsenal to end the pandemic. This third option (along with Covaxin and Covishield) will augment our vaccine capacity and accelerate our vaccination drive," official spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi had said.

The Sputnik-V vaccine was developed by researchers at Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow.