Vietnam signs deal to expand production of Sputnik V vaccine

Vietnam has struck a deal with Moscow to expand their production of the Russian-made Covid-19 vaccines Sputnik V. Vietnam has been producing the Sputnik vaccines already, but a new deal will allow more Sputnik V vaccines to be manufactured as well as the Sputnik Light vaccine.

The expanded deal was made during a visit to Russia by Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the President of Vietnam this week and the announcement was made yesterday by RDIF, the Russia-based sovereign wealth fund that handles the international marketing of the Sputnik vaccine.

The Vietnamese President signed the deal on behalf of the state-owned VABIOTECH and Sovico Group, a Vietnamese-based investment firm. VABIOTECH has been producing the Russian vaccine already, and now this new agreement will expand production and it will also begin manufacturing of Sputnik Light, a vaccine that only requires a single injection instead of a 2-dose regimen.

While the Food and Drug Administration of Thailand declined to approve the Russian Sputnik vaccine for import and use within the Kingdom, in August, Sputnik was approved to be added to the list of vaccines that international travellers could use to be considered fully vaccinated when travelling to Thailand to avoid quarantining in hopes of attracting more of the Russian market that has been a key demographic for tourism before the Covid-19 pandemic.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post