Russia’s global vaccine ambitions stumble over inability to meet deliveries

The Kremlin’s ambitions to secure soft power dividends around the world from Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine are hampered by delays in delivering Sputnik V to foreign buyers demanding supplies.

This week, the President of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, said his country will try to replace the 8 million doses planned with supplies from other producers by the end of the year., due to delays in receiving your initial order.

Countries that have joined Sputnik V in the midst of a global rush to obtain vaccines are increasingly reporting supply issues with the second component of the two-stage inoculation. In Argentina, a presidential adviser said the shortage put the government at risk because people could not receive the second dose within the recommended three months after the first.

President Vladimir Putin promoted Sputnik V to leaders around the world as part of an ambitious Kremlin initiative to put Russia on the map as a major player in the international vaccine industry. Corn Difficulties in producing the promised vaccines could relegate it to a secondary role as rivals in the United States, Europe and China fill the void.

“The promoters designed their export plans around local production which greatly overestimated local capacity,” said Samuel Ramani, professor of politics and international relations at the University of Oxford. “Russia has lost its advantage as supplies from other countries have become more accessible and it now appears to be second.”

A spokesperson for the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund responsible for the international marketing of Sputnik V, said the existing contract with Guatemala had been adjusted to a new delivery schedule and had not been canceled.

“Given the unprecedented global demand, all vaccine producers are facing short-term supply problems,” said the RDIF representative.

The fund said it still aims to produce enough to vaccinate 700 million people outside of Russia this year, a pledge made by its boss in March. Airfinity, a London-based scientific analysis company, estimates that 99 million doses have been delivered to date, more than half of which are for home use.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that the delays in international supplies from Sputnik were due to the need to increase national vaccination in the face of increasing cases.

Putin called Sputnik the first Covid-19 vaccine approved for use, a measure criticized at the time as premature. However, it overcame initial doubts about its effectiveness, which arose from a lack of data, being broadly on par with vaccines developed by Western giants.

Unlike other Covid-19 vaccines, the two Sputnik injections are different. The production of the second proved difficult to increase, according to the buyers.

Delays in second dose delivery slowed deployment of Sputnik V in Indiaaccording to Erez Israel, CEO of Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., which is licensed to distribute the inoculation in that country. Indian producers have agreements to manufacture up to 850 million doses per year, although it is not clear when that level of production will be reached.

RDIF said its partners, including in India, are expected to increase production in September to help meet this year’s target.

In Argentina, a letter leaked last week revealed the government’s frustration with the slow supply of Sputnik V. On Wednesday, it announced a deal with Pfizer to obtain 20 million doses by the end of the year. year. Mexico also reported delays.

In Brazil, governors of northeastern states trying to introduce the vaccine said 1.1 million doses expected for Wednesday were delayed by Rusi.a, according to the newspaper or balloon. The two sides are discussing a new schedule for the delivery, the newspaper said.

A shipment of 50,000 doses of the second component arrived in the Philippines this month, several weeks after it was reported that those to receive the follow-up vaccine were experiencing delays.

Amid the delays, RDIF said earlier this month that the interval between vaccinations can be safely extended to 180 days.

As Russia strives to meet its commitments, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that The United States has delivered 1.5 million doses of the modern vaccine to Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic that Russia consider your strategic backyard. The announcement came as Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in the capital Dushanbe for talks.

Even like that, in Russia, Sputnik V is touted as a success, helping to expand its soft power and provide a quality, cost-effective alternative to vaccines made in the West. Sputnik V has been approved for use in 69 countries and the RDIF said last month it had agreements to produce 1.6 billion doses this year. “Sputnik V is an internal propaganda victory,” said Vasily Vlassov, epidemiologist at the Moscow Higher School of Economics. “The government and the media are insisting on its success in gaining approval in so many countries rather than embarrassing details.”

(c) 2021, Bloomberg

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