After the Russian covid 19 vaccine Sputnik V showed promising results in an ongoing phase 3 study that was presented last week in the journal The Lancet, interest in the vaccine has increased from several countries around the world.
According to the study, which includes about 20,000 participants, the vaccine should be both safe and effective to 91.6 percent while it should also work well for all age groups.
Now, among other things, Chile, as the latest in the line of South American countries, has begun negotiations to buy the vaccine in the first half of 2021, Reuters reports.
Chile has previously signed agreements with Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Chinese Sinovac.
But now Sputnik V can also be added to the list.
The country aims for a quarter of the population to be vaccinated by the end of March.
Several countries are negotiating
Russia has already sent large shipments of Sputnik V to neighboring Argentina.
Bolivia has also received doses.
And several other Latin American countries are now saying they are negotiating with Russia.
On Tuesday, it was also announced that Mongolia has approved Sputnik V as a vaccine against covid-19.
The country thus becomes the 23rd in the world to do so.
At the same time, Hungary will be the first country in the EU to start vaccinations with Sputnik V.
Demand is high
According to Russian authorities, demand for the Sputnik V vaccine has been high worldwide and and the possibility of meeting it will be reviewed as soon as the domestic need is met, reports Reuters.
India, one of the hardest hit countries, plans to include Sputnik V in its vaccine program, while Pakistan has approved Sputnik V for emergency use.
At the same time, it is stated that about 15 million doses of the Russian vaccine are planned to be sold to South Africa, according to Reuters.