Sputnik V is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Russia’s Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. The vaccine has been marketed around the world by the Russian Direct Investment Fund. 

Even though the Sputnik V has not yet been approved by the World Health Organization so far, Kirill Dmitriev of the Russian Direct Investment Fund said he expects the dose to get a green light by the international organsation by September or October 2021, according to reports from India Today.

He said, “We are expecting the approval from WHO to Sputnik V this fall. We are expecting it to come in September or October. There is plenty of positive information out there already about the vaccine. Already, 67 countries with 3.5 billion people have approved Sputnik as the data has been exceptionally positive”, in an exclusive with India Today.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund had teamed up with the Indian government earlier this month to produce 300 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

So far, the World Health Organization has listed a handful of vaccines for emergency use across the world. These include Pfizer BioNTech, AstraZeneca Oxford, AstraZeneca-SKBio (majorly produced by South Korean firms), the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and Moderna.

The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, or simply SAGE, is the arm of the World Health Organization that is tasked with studying the benefits and risks of vaccines that apply for approved status.