Russia Says US and Europe Want to Make their Vaccine

For director of the fund that funds the Sputnik V vaccine, the idea is to offer 100 million doses in Brazil and negotiate with the government

São Paulo

Russia plans to announce partnerships to produce the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine with US and European companies and investment funds. This comes after weeks of attacks in the West due to the accelerated launch schedule for its vaccine against Covid-19.

The country claims to be in contact with the Brazilian government, which has an agreement to manufacture the vaccine made by AstraZeneca and Oxford.

A nurse inoculates volunteer Ilya Dubrovin, 36, with Russia's new coronavirus vaccine in a post-registration trials at a clinic in Moscow on September 10, 2020. - Russia announced last month that its vaccine, named "Sputnik V" after the Soviet-era satellite that was the first launched into space in 1957, had already received approval. The vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya research institute in Moscow in coordination with the Russian defence ministry. (Photo by Natalia KOLESNIKOVA / AFP) - AFP

In an interview with Folha, the Russian Fund for Direct Investments president, Kirill Dmitriev, who financed the development of R$ 300 million of the product by the Gamaleya Institute, says that the announcements will take place within two weeks.

They will be a political victory for the Russians, criticized for having registered the vaccine for civil use before all tests.

This Friday (11), an agreement was announced with the state of Bahia for the acquisition of 50 million doses by March, pending approval.

According to Dmitriev, part of this may be offered by national production if the negotiations already underway with Paraná advance. "We can have 100 million doses, covering half the population. We want to export from Brazil."

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

Read the article in the original language