Russian Minister Of Health: No Barriers To WHO Approval Of Sputnik V COVID-19 Vaccine

Ilustrasi vaksin COVID-19 Sputnik V. (Wikimedia Commons / Mos.ru / М. Мишина)

JAKARTA - Russia said there were no significant obstacles to the approval process for their Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine by the World Health Organization (WHO).

All obstacles to registering Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine with the WHO have been removed and only a few documents need to be completed, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Saturday.

The Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, widely used in Russia and approved for use in more than 70 countries, is under review by WHO and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Their approval could open up new markets for the shot, particularly in mainland Europe, which has been using COVID-19 vaccines other than Sputnik V.

Health Minister Murashko himself is known to have met WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva.

"Russia's position on the promotion and registration of the Sputnik V vaccine has been heard, we have answered all questions for today," Minister Murashko was quoted as saying by Reuters from the Interfax news agency Oct. 2.

He said the company handling the registration of Sputnik V at WHO only had to sign a few documents, submit some additional letters.” The WHO could not immediately be reached for comment.

For information, the WHO in its Buli review last July said about how Russia produces the Sputnik V vaccine, it has found some problems with bottle filling in one factory. The manufacturer says it has since addressed all WHO concerns.