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Switzerland Ready to Study Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine Safety If There Is Request, Minister Says

GENEVA (Sputnik) - Switzerland has not yet received a request from Russia to assess safety of the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 but is ready to study it if there is a relevant offer, Alain Berset, a member of the Swiss Federal Council who is in charge of healthcare, said on Monday.
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"As far as I know, as of now, Swissmedic [Swiss surveillance authority for medicines] has not received such a request. If it happens, the request will be certainly studied if the producer's dosser includes all the necessary documents," Berset said at a press conference.

Although Switzerland is aware of the Russian vaccine's effectiveness, it cannot start purchasing any vaccine without a safety and effectiveness assessment by Swissmedic, Berset continued.

In January, former Swiss Ambassador in Moscow Yves Rossier was inoculated against COVID-19 with Sputnik V shortly before leaving Russia. 

Russia's Sputnik V is the world's first registered coronavirus vaccine. It has been authorised for emergency use in 66 countries with a total population of over 3.2 billion people. The efficacy of the drug stands at 97.6%, based on the latest analysis of data from 3.8 million vaccinated Russians.

 

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