Russia struggling to fill Sputnik COVID-19 vaccine orders

Millions of people worldwide are still waiting to receive their doses of the Russian-developed Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine after supply issues stalled production and export, The Associated Press reported.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian state-controlled fund that invested in the vaccine, said Wednesday that supply problems had been resolved. But the firm estimated that the country has shipped out only a little more than 4 percent of the roughly 1 billion doses promised, according to the news outlet. 

“There is not one vaccine manufacturer in the world that didn’t have vaccine delivery issues,” Dmitriev said.

Russia launched the vaccine in August 2020, naming it after the world’s first satellite, Sputnik. The shots, which utilize a harmless virus that carries genetic material to the immune system, are not interchangeable. 

The vaccine previously faced international doubts about its use. Most notably, Germany’s health minister revealed that the European Union executive commission would not order doses of the Russian vaccine for its member countries.

Nevertheless, multiple countries ordered the vaccine months ago. Venezuela, for example, ordered 10 million does for people ages 50 and over in December. The AP reported that Venezuela has only received 4 million doses.