Russia says been asked to create COVID vaccine combining Sputnik V, Chinese shot

MOSCOW: Russia has been asked to create a vaccine combining its Sputnik V vaccine and a Chinese shot, the Interfax news agency quoted the head of Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund as saying on Friday.

Trials for the shot could be conducted in Arab countries, the fund chief Kirill Dmitriev was cited as saying. He gave no indication who had requested the project.

The sovereign funds of Russia and Bahrain signed a preliminary agreement on Thursday to manufacture and distribute the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine across the Middle East and North Africa region, RDIF had said.

RDIF provided no information on the capacity of the planned manufacturing facility under the agreement which also involves Binnopharm Group, а subsidiary of Russian investment company Sistema (AFKS.MM).