Venezuela approves Russia's single-shot COVID-19 vaccine

MOSCOW: Venezuela has approved for use Russia's single-shot Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Saturday.

Developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, the slimmed-down vaccine, which the RDIF says is 79.4% effective against COVID-19 and costs under $10 a dose, has been earmarked for export and has been billed as a way to help vaccine supplies go further in countries with high infection rates.

Approval of the shot by Venezuela follows successful use of the two-dose Sputnik V vaccine in the country and "will help accelerate the vaccination" campaign, said Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the RDIF, which is responsible for marketing the vaccine abroad. (Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova. Editing by Mark Potter)