Russia announced on Tuesday that more than three million doses of the second component of the Sputnik V vaccine will be produced in Argentina in August, as several Latin American countries complained of delays from Moscow.
Read also: Covid-19: in Russia, vaccination slowed by general mistrust
In Argentina, production will be handled by Laboratorios Richmond, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which funded the vaccine design, said in a statement.
150,000 doses should be available this week.
The quality of the batches produced in Argentina was tested and approved on Tuesday at the Gamaleïa center in Moscow, which designed the vaccine, adds the Russian sovereign fund.
In recent weeks, several Latin American countries that have relied on Sputnik V to vaccinate part of their population have complained of delays in delivery of doses.
These delays are compounded by the fact that Sputnik, unlike other vaccines, is made up of two different, non-interchangeable doses, resulting in half-vaccinated standby populations.
With canceled purchases, Russia diversifies its production
Guatemala thus canceled the purchase of 8 million doses of the late Russian vaccine and indicated that it is now negotiating with American laboratories to compensate.
Argentina, for its part, brandished the threat of a breach of contract in July, after being in December the first Latin American country to approve Sputnik V and one of the first in the world.
Read also: Covid-19: Argentina begins its vaccination campaign with the Russian vaccine Sputnik V
Russia is seeking to diversify the sources of production for Sputnik V, its own capacities being limited and dedicated primarily to the Russian population. It has signed production agreements with several countries, including India, which will eventually produce several hundred million doses per year. According to RDIF, the Russian vaccine is now licensed in 69 countries, covering 3.7 billion people.