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A consignment of 30,000 doses of the Sputnik Light Covid-19 vaccine provided to Laos by Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations arrived in Vientiane on Wednesday to bolster efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

On September 22, a special flight organised by the Russian emergencies ministry delivered the vaccine as part of the country’s humanitarian aid to Laos, in response to a request from the Lao government.

The Lao health regulator, the Food and Drug Department of the Ministry of Health, has registered Sputnik V, giving the green light for its use the same as other vaccines, a senior official from the ministry’s Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion said.

“Not only have we been given the Sputnik Light Covid-19 vaccine, we also welcome the support of all countries that can provide Covid vaccines to Laos, all of which have been emergency-use listed by the World Health Organisation, giving assurance about their quality, safety and efficacy.”

“This latest delivery will move us closer towards the fulfilment of our vaccination target. I would like to stress that vaccines are our first line of defence against Covid-19,” he added.

The Sputnik vaccine is registered in more than 65 countries, according to its developers, who claim it has an efficacy of more than 90 percent.

The Lao government plans to vaccinate 50 percent of its seven-million-plus population by the end of this year.

Next year, 70 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated to provide full protection against Covid-19.

Laos received the first shipment of Russia’s original Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine in January this year

The Russian government provided 1,000 doses of the vaccine for use by Lao medical workers, with 500 people being given two doses each.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update September 24, 2021)

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