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Belarus plans to buy Sputnik Light vaccine

MINSK, 13 May (BelTA) – Belarus intends to buy the COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik Light, Belarusian Healthcare Minister Dmitry Pinevich said in an interview to the SB. Belarus Segodnya newspaper, BelTA has learned.

“I believe that we will not only purchase this vaccine, but also launch its production in Belarus. We should study the documents carefully first, but, as far as I understand, it is a single-dose vaccine that was approved for people aged 18-40. However, it is a long-term plan, as the vaccine will be rolled out only in 2022,” Dmitry Pinevich said.

In the autumn, the Belarusian pharmaceutical company Belmedpreparaty that is currently bottling the Sputnik V vaccine will launch the full production cycle of this Russian jab, Dmitry Pinevich added. Belarus is implementing two joint projects with different Russian companies, with both of them using the same vaccine developed at the Russian Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. Belmedpreparaty has allocated one of its Minsk-based manufacturing facilities for bottling the vaccine and is getting ready to launch the full production cycle of the jab at another one after renovations.

“Our Russian colleagues will share with us the technology, and we will produce all the components ourselves. The launch date is 1 October,” the minister noted.

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