BRIEF—Belarus first foreign country to register the Sputnik V vaccine

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, today announced that Sputnik V, the Russian vaccine against coronavirus, has been registered by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, which becomes the first foreign country to officially register the vaccine.

Vaccination of volunteers in Belarus began on October 1 as part of double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine funded by the RDIF, involving 100 people in eight medical institutions selected as research centers in Belarus.

Development of local production of the Sputnik V vaccine in Belarus is currently underway in partnership with the RDIF.

The RDIF also announced the launch of production of Sputnik V, the world’s first registered vaccine against coronavirus, in Kazakhstan.

A validation batch was produced today at the Karaganda pharmaceutical complex.