African Union May Endorse Sputnik V Vaccine In Coming Days - Health Official

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th February, 2021) The expert committee of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is set to review Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in the coming days and make a statement regarding its use on the continent, Africa CDC Director John Nkengasong said at a briefing on Thursday.

"Yes, we did reach out to these countries. The Russian Gamaleya group that produces Sputnik V vaccine has submitted its full dossiers. I'm pleased to state that in the coming days, hopefully next week, the panel will come together and start discussing," Nkengasong said.

Last week, the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), which was set up by the African Union with the aim to immunize 60 percent of the continental population, said that Russia had offered 300 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine to the African Union.

According to the health officials, AVATT will hold a meeting with the Sputnik V manufacturer to discuss all the details after which the expert committee will review the dossiers and make a pronouncement on them.

"The vaccines, the 300 million does that have been agreed on, will be made available on the platform. Making them available doesn't mean that we have purchased them. It means that countries can go through the platform and place their orders once we have given endorsement to that product," Nkengasong said.

AVATT earlier secured over 270 million doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson&Johnson vaccines.