Russia ready to start delivering Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to Philippines

Russian Ambassador to Manila Marat Pavlov held talks with Philippine Secretary of Health Francisco Duque on the potential use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 in the Southeast Asian country, and told him that the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is ready to start vaccine deliveries as soon as the Philippine regulator grants approval, the Russian embassy told Sputnik on Thursday.

Russian Ambassador to Mla Marat Pavlov held talks with Philippine Secretary of Health Francisco Duque on the potential use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 in the Southeast Asian country, and told him that the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is ready to start vaccine deliveries as soon as the Philippine regulator grants approval, the Russian embassy told Sputnik on Thursday.

"Russian ambassador in the Philippines Pavlov held talks with Philippine health minister Francisco Duque in the videoconference format. The sides discussed the epidemic situation in both countries and the possibility to use Russia's Sputnik V vaccine on the territory of the Republic of the Philippines," the embassy said.

"The head of the health ministry was briefed on the ongoing large-scale vaccination campaign in Russia and on RDIF's readiness to start the Russian coronavirus vaccine supplies to the Philippines immediately after the national regulator giver its approval for emergency use," the embassy added.

The Philippines expects to obtain 148 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine to inoculate at least 50 million citizens in 2021.

The Philippine drug regulator approved the vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech last week and is currently studying applications for Sputnik V and AstraZeneca vaccines emergency use. (/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )