MINSK, 18 May (BelTA) – The Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine produced in Belarus is distributed only after its quality has been confirmed, Belmedpreparaty Director General Sergei Belyayev told the STV TV channel, BelTA informs.
The Belmedpreparaty pharmaceutical company is running three projects that have to do, in one way or another, with vaccine development. “The first one is partial localization of the Sputnik V production, or the so-called vaccine bottling,” Sergei Belyayev said. He noted that the Sputnik V vaccine bottled in Belarus is absolutely identical to the Sputnik V vaccine manufactured in Russia.
The director general emphasized that the quality control of this vaccine is done by the Russian Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology that developed the vaccine. “As soon as they confirm that this vaccine complies with the regulatory document developed by them, the vaccine reaches the consumer,” Sergei Belyayev said.
Another project underway at the company is complete localization of the Sputnik V production. This project is to be completed by the end of the year. “It will be a Sputnik V vaccine preparation completely reproduced to the technology of the Gamaleya institute that will exercise its quality control,” Sergei Belyayev added.
According to Deputy Healthcare Minister – Chief Sanitary Inspector of Belarus Aleksandr Tarasenko, the Russian vaccine has proven its worth. Sputnik V has 92% efficacy in trial. “This means that 92 out of 100 vaccinated will not get sick, and eight people, if they get sick, will develop mild symptoms,” he explained.
According to Sergei Belyayev, Belarus will stop standing in line for the vaccine only when it rolls out its own vaccine and stops depending on vaccine supplies.