Kyrgyzstan plans to launch production of Russian COVID-19 vaccine

Bishkek, Jan. 26, 2021 /Kabar/. There are plans to organize production of a Sputnik V Russian vaccine against COVID-19 coronavirus infection in Kyrgyzstan, Chairman of the State Committee for Industry, Energy and Subsoil Use of the republic Zhyrgalbek Sagynbayev said at a press conference on Tuesday. He added such a proposal was voiced during a meeting with Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov. "The Russian Health Ministry is already allocating 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Kyrgyzstan. Production of this vaccine has already started in Belarus and Kazakhstan. Thus, at the meeting the Russian side said that if the Kyrgyz side voices a number of capable companies that meet the standards for production of vaccines, Russia is ready to send a commission, which will determine the company and the conditions for production of the vaccine. This process should be accelerated because a "British" strain of coronavirus is registered even in Russia," said Sagynbayev. He noted there are plans to produce about 5 million doses of vaccines to cover the entire population of the country. "There will also be a focus on the affordability of vaccines so that citizens have access to them. Now the process of selecting domestic pharmaceutical companies is underway, so that a Russian company can choose one of them," the chairman added.