Russia has filed for the registration of its coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, with South African (SA) regulator, the health ministry of the African nation said on Tuesday.
“We are continuously engaging with the manufacturers of Sputnik V, who have submitted documentation to the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for registration,’’ the ministry said in a statement posted by its Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize, on Twitter.
The ministry added that South Africa was also engaged in extensive discussions with China’s Sinopharm to receive more information about its coronavirus vaccine.
The country has recently signed a non-disclosure agreement with the company.
Earlier this month, the South African government announced that it was suspending the rollout of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine due to its “minimal protection’’ against the new variant, which is currently prevalent in the country.
Instead, the country is set to receive the first 80,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine this week.
Sputnik
