(UPDATED) The single-component Sputnik Light vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has been authorized for emergency use in the Philippines, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced Monday, August 23, 2021.
The Sputnik Light vaccine is the first component of the Sputnik V vaccine, which is based on human adenovirus serotype 26.
“The approval of Sputnik Light by the regulatory authorities of the Philippines allows for expanding national vaccine portfolio through adding another Russian coronavirus vaccine, which has demonstrated safety and high efficacy in many countries,” said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of RDIF.
“A single-shot Sputnik Light has efficacy higher than that of many foreign two-dose vaccines and enables to vaccinate more people in a shorter time frame,” he added.
He did not say when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Sputnik Light. The FDA has yet to make an announcement.
The RDIF said data from the Ministry of Health of the Buenos Aires province (Argentina) showed a 78.6 to 83.7 percent efficacy for Sputnik Light among the elderly.
In Paraguay, Sputnik Light was shown to be 93.5 percent effective, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.
The RDIF said Sputnik Light is also being studied in combination with vaccines from other producers.
The two-dose Sputnik V was issued an EUA in the Philippines in March 2021.
The RDIF has delivered 365,000 doses of Sputnik V, consisting of both components 1 and 2, to the Philippines. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government has ordered 10 million doses of Sputnik V.
Sputnik Light is the ninth Covid-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use in the Philippines.
Aside from Sputnik V, other vaccines with EUAs in the Philippines are Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sinovac (CoronaVac), Sputnik V, Janssen (single-shot), Bharat Biotech, Moderna and Novavax.
As of August 15, 2021, a total of 48,522,890 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have arrived in the country. (Marites Villamor-Ilano with Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo)