Sputnik V, the trailblazing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine from Russia, can now be used as a single-dose jab in the Philippines.
Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., vaccine czar and chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19), revealed Monday, Aug. 23, that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the application of manufacturer Gamaleya Research Institute's emergency use authorization (EUA) for the single dose use of "Sputnik Light," a variation of the two-dose Sputnik V.
"I would like to announce that the EUA for the Sputnik V's Sputnik Light na one-dose na lang siya ay naaprubahan na ng FDA (single-dose Sputnik V's Sputnik Light has been approved by the FDA)," Galvez said during a ceremony that celebrated the administration of 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines held in San Mateo, Rizal.
According to the vaccine czar, the country has ordered 10 million doses of Sputnik V which are expected to be delivered within 2021. So far, a total of 365,000 doses of the Russian vaccine have already been transported to the country.
"We will follow-up 'yong more or less 10 million na doses because it will become 10 million treatments. Meaning, 10 million na tao ang makikinabang nito (This means that 10 million people will benefit from this)," Galvez stressed.
Like Janssen's Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine, the Sputnik Light will only require vaccine recipients to get one dose to receive its maximum efficacy.
It is not yet clear whether the efficacy of Sputnik Light will be the same with Sputnik V but Galvez said millions of Filipinos will be saved from hospitalization and death once they receive a single dose of the vaccine.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), the Sputnik V jab has an efficacy of 80.6 percent against symptomatic COVID-19 cases.
Meawnhile, Galvez reported that more than 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have already been administered nationwide, marking a new milestone in the national vaccination program.
As of Aug. 22, a total of 30,389,160 jabs were administered across the country where more than 17.25 million Filipinos have received their first dose while 13.13 million were fully vaccinated.