CEO: RDIF plans to start exports of COVID-19 vaccine Nov–Dec

MOSCOW, Aug 20 (PRIME) -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) expects to start exports of the vaccine for the COVID-19 in November–December, CEO Kirill Dmitriev said at a briefing on Thursday.

“We see that taking into account the production capacities, where we invest not only on the territory of Russia, those are R-Pharm, Alium and Binnopharm, and in other states, we can start to supply our vaccine to foreign markets in November–December this year," Dmitriev said.

Dmitriev added that the RDIF is considering exporting vaccines to Egypt and other African states.

Russia agreed to produce the vaccine in five countries to make 500 million doses per year.

Dmitriev also said that mass vaccination in Russia will start in October, and large-scale post-registration trials will start next week. 

Dmitriev said that the RDIF had sent official information about the vaccine to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the rhetoric of the organization on the vaccine changed.

According to Dmitriev, Russia might also start to produce the Chinese vaccine. "As you know, Russia will be also making British AstraZeneca vaccines of the University of Oxford. We are discussing the possibility of producing the Chinese vaccine as well," he said. 

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