Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine will be made available in Manipur within a week at Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI), Health village, Langol, Imphal West, sources said.
A release by SHRI signed by its Business Development manager, L Premjit stated that the vaccine is currently authorised for active immunisation to prevent COVID-19 among individuals who are 18 years and above. Sputnik V is the latest addition to the two other vaccines that India is currently using to battle COVID-19 pandemic - Covaxin and Covishield.
Two different doses of Sputnik V are needed to administer with a gap of 21 days. As Manipur ramps up its vaccination drive to stave off the potential third wave of COVID infection, SHRI has procured 1,200 doses each for the first and second dose of the vaccine.
The hospital is now equipped with high-end refrigerators which are capable of maintaining minus 25 degrees Celsius temperature, the required temperature to keep the vaccine safe, it added.
The manufacturer of the vaccine claimed that it is the first COVID-19 vaccine to use a heterogeneous boosting approach based on two different vectors for two vaccine shots. It also asserted that this approach generates a more sustainable immunity compared to the vaccines that are used for the same delivery mechanism for both shots, the release stated.
It further stated that once the vaccine is administered, it delivers the SARS-Cov-2 gene into cells in the body and these cells then use the gene to produce the spike protein. The immune system of the person will treat this spike protein as foreign and produce natural defences (antibodies and T-cells) against this protein.
In case, the vaccinated person comes into contact with SARS-Cov-2, the immune system will recognise the spike protein on the virus and be prepared to fight against it. The antibodies and T-Cells of the body work together to kill the virus and destroy the infected cells and further prevents its entry into other cells in the body, thus protecting the person against COVID-19, it added.
A peer-reviewed article published in ‘The Lancet’ (February 2021) considers Sputnik V safe for mass inoculation and has shown 91.6 percent efficacy against COVID-19. India’s Dr Reddy Labs has tied up with the Russia Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for 125 million doses of the vaccine by Russia, the release stated.
The supply chain is being monitored by Dr Reddy’s Laboratories. To book for the jab, eligible individuals can walk into the hospital or call 8448645646, it added.
