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The “Sputnik-V” vaccine was supposed to shock the world like the Soviets' first artificial satellite.

In 1957, this caused the West to doubt its technological and military superiority.

The vaccine against Covid-19 was cast for the same role last year.

Developed by the renowned Gamaleja Center in Moscow, the vaccine was approved in a fast-track process in August.

The message to the world: The Russians were once again the first.

Months later, however, Moscow's success story faltered.

In the Russian capital there is talk of up to 1.2 billion cans that countries such as Egypt, Brazil, Nepal or Venezuela would have ordered.

But until the vaccine is approved there and the deliveries arrive, they are no more than options on the stock exchange.

It is not enough to be the first.

You also have to be able to deliver.

And with that, the pharmaceutical industry has difficulties.

Russia's Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov recently said on the state broadcaster Rossija 24 that two million cans have already been produced and are thus slightly above plan.

The level of production is also sufficient for export.

But this can be a maximum of 500,000 doses, because 1.5 million are reserved for the company's own vaccination campaign.

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In view of the figures from the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which is said to have shipped around 50 million doses of the vaccine developed with Biontech, the Russian information seems like a side note.

More than a billion cans are to be distributed worldwide this year - thanks to extensive cooperation with smaller companies.

Moscow, too, is now apparently putting out feelers: In a phone call between President Vladimir Putin and Chancellor Angela Merkel a few days ago, according to the Kremlin, the issue was also about “possible prospects for the joint production of vaccines”.

The Sputnik-V vaccine: Putin himself cannot be vaccinated with it

Source: AFP

Russia can already point to at least one export success.

Shortly before Christmas, Argentina was the first country outside the former Soviet Union to certify Sputnik-V and start vaccinating.

Not without a scandal, however.

Alberto Fernández, the 61-year-old president, was, contrary to his announcement, not the first to be vaccinated after the 68-year-old Putin provisionally refused the vaccination on the grounds of his age.

Argentina had previously approved the vaccine in a fast-track process - also for the elderly.

In total, the country is to receive ten million cans.

In Buenos Aires, however, they do not want to put everything on one card: 22 million cans are to be delivered by AstraZeneca and initially 750,000 cans from Pfizer / Biontech.

Hungary complains about slow production

Other potential partners are much more critical: Hungary, which was also interested in Sputnik-V, criticized Russia's "insufficient production capacities", as Viktor Orbán's chief of staff Gergely Gulyás explained.

The trial delivery of 6000 cans is not used.

Russia's direct investment fund, RDIF, which financed the development of the vaccine, described the reports as false.

Hungary wants to continue buying Russian vaccine.

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In the meantime, the race for approval of the vaccine, the third trial phase of which has not yet been completed in Russia, has become a hurdle in the key markets hoped for, such as India and Brazil.

In China, the vaccine will not even come onto the market, but will only be produced for export.

Sputnik-V was to be delivered to Brazil in November.

The northeastern state of Bahia plans to buy 50 million cans, and two local manufacturers have announced that they will be producing the vaccine in cooperation with the Russians.

But approval has been a long time coming, as have the deliveries.

Bahia now wants to organize the third test phase itself instead of relying on Russian assurances.

In India, where Russia intends to produce up to 300 million cans per year in cooperation with local manufacturers, the hoped-for rapid approval did not materialize in October.

Instead, regulators asked for more tests.

Moscow was hoping to submit an application for rapid approval at the end of January, but the Indian partners are slowing down: approval is only expected in the second quarter of the year.

Astra Zeneca's vaccine, on the other hand, has already been approved, and domestic production under the Covishield brand at the Serum Institute of India began even before it was officially approved - a vote of confidence that was not given to Russia

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The aggressive marketing, the advertising with the emergency approval already during the second test phase, the high speed, even the name - all of this now seems to be taking revenge.

After all, when it comes to vaccines, it is less about who is the first to approve, but more about stable and predictable production and delivery of a product that is safe according to globally recognized criteria.

About trust.

Russia could have taken over with its promise of massive vaccine production.

Just a few months ago, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the state fund RDIF, promised domestic production of 30 million cans by the end of 2020. Even then, officials like Trade Minister Manturov must have realized that this could not be achieved.

Nevertheless, Dmitriev does not see the difficulties in production and international approval in his own country, as he recently said in an interview with the state broadcaster Rossiya 24.

Instead, he used a practiced narrative: An "information war" was being waged abroad against the Russian vaccine.

This text is from WELT AM SONNTAG.

We will be happy to deliver them to your home on a regular basis.

Source: Welt am Sonntag