India will study claim of Sputnik Light: Dr VK Paul

India will examine the claim that a single dose of Russian vaccine ‘Sputnik Light’ can provide protection from the novel coronavirus infection, said NITI Aayog member V K Paul.

“Sputnik V is a two-dose vaccine taken at a gap of three weeks. The unique feature of it is that the antigens in the first and second dose are different from each other. In other vaccines, both doses are the same.

“In case of Sputnik Light, they (developers) are saying that the first dose is enough. We are examining this claim. We will go through its data and immunogenicity, and after that we will see. Let more information come in,” Paul said at a press conference.

He was responding to a query if Sputnik Light will be used in India for vaccinating its population against the infection.

Paul noted that if the claims of the vaccine developer are true, it can help double the speed of vaccination in India.

“… it is very promising, if there is protection from single dosage as they have claimed. It is very encouraging and makes us feel very optimistic. Single-dose vaccines can increase the speed of vaccination, but the merit and the processing of their request, as and when it comes, will be based on scientific data and information,” he noted.

India’s drug regulator had last month granted permission for restricted emergency use of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V with certain conditions.