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Supplies of Russia's Sputnik Light Covid Booster Run Dry

Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency

Supplies of Russia's Sputnik Light Covid-19 booster shot have run out in most regions as the country sees a new resurgence in the virus, the Kommersant business daily reported Wednesday.

Russia on Wednesday recorded over 9,000 new coronavirus infections, an increase of nearly 3,000 compared to Tuesday.

Sputnik Light consists of the first dose of Russia’s domestically manufactured, two-dose Sputnik V vaccine.

Clinics across several Russian regions interviewed by Kommersant said they either had run out or were running low on Sputnik Light.

Russia’s Health Ministry was unable to explain the booster’s absence, the publication said.

On Monday, the ministry’s chief visiting infectious disease specialist Vladimir Chulanov recommended first and second Sputnik V components as booster shots six months after one's previous dose. 

Health authorities only put between 10,000 and 30,000 Sputnik Light doses into circulation nationwide in July, according to Kommersant. 

An independent tracker notes that 15.2 million Russians have been revaccinated as of Wednesday, with 69 million more yet to be revaccinated.

Sputnik’s developers have said they expect the next surge in Covid-19 infections in September.

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