Africa Orders 300 Million Sputnik V Vaccines

The Africa Vaccine Acquisition TaskTeam [AVATT] announced that it had received an offer of 300 million Sputnik V vaccines from the Russian Federation. This includes a financing package for any member states wishing to secure this vaccine.

Meanwhile, AVATT, which the 55 Member African Union established, advises that the 270 million doses previously secured from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson were all taken up by the first allocation phase deadline through the African Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP).

While details, including clinical and technical information, are now accessible on the AMSP, Sputnik V vaccines will be available for a period of 12 months commencing by May 2021.

“The Sputnik V vaccine from the Russian Federation is now available on the AMSP for the consideration of our AU Member States,” said Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in a press statement issued on February 19, 2021. “Bilateral and private sector partnerships such as this aid our efforts to bringing the COVID-19 pandemic to an end.”

Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) is an adenoviral-based vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Sputnik V uses a weakened virus to deliver small parts of a pathogen and stimulate an immune response.