Sputnik Light vaccine approved for use in Republic of Congo - RDIF
MOSCOW. June 7 (Interfax) - The Russian Sputnik Light coronavirus vaccine has been approved for use in the Republic of the Congo, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in a statement.
"The Russian Direct Investment Fund announces the approval of the Russian single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine against coronavirus by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of the Congo," the statement said.
In March, the two-dose Sputnik V vaccine was also approved for use in the Republic of the Congo under the emergency use authorization procedure.
The Sputnik Light vaccine is the first component (recombinant human adenovirus serotype number 26 (rAd26)) of Sputnik V. The Sputnik Light vaccine has demonstrated 79.4% efficacy, according to analyzed data taken 28 days after the injection was administered.
The data was obtained from Russians vaccinated with a single injection, having not received the second one for whatever reason during the mass vaccination campaign between December 5, 2020 and April 15, 2021.
"Republic of the Congo is widening the national coronavirus vaccine portfolio through authorization of Sputnik Light. The two-dose Sputnik V vaccine had already been approved in the country earlier this year. We welcome the decision of the Ministry of Health enabling the Republic of the Congo to obtain access to safe, effective and affordable Sputnik Light vaccine," RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev is quoted as saying in the statement.
To date, the Sputnik V vaccine has been authorized in 67 countries with a total population of over 3.5 billion people.