Brazil's Supreme Court Orders Anvisa To Explain What Sputnik V Documents Missing - Reports

BUENOS AIRES (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2021) A Brazilian supreme court judge has ordered the country's drug regulator Anvisa to justify, within 48 hours, claims of missing documents needed to conduct a conclusive analysis of Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, the state-run news agency Agencia Brasil reported.

In late April, Anvisa rejected the request by the country's regional governments to import the vaccine until missing information is presented by the Russian side. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which markets Sputnik V abroad, called the decision "politically motivated," citing a US Department of Health report that the United States had attempted to persuade Brazil not to use the vaccine. The RDIF also stated that the Brazilian regulator's team in Moscow had access to all relevant documents as well as research and production sites.

The ruling was made on the request filed by the authorities of the Maranhao state, which, like several other provincial governments, is waiting for the decision on the Russian vaccine.

The ruling was made by judge Ricardo Lewandowski who has a history of siding with regional authorities that wish to import Sputnik V.

Sputnik V, the world's first registered coronavirus vaccine, has been approved for emergency use in 64 countries across the globe. The efficacy of the vaccine stands at 97.6%, based on the latest analysis of data on the post-vaccination infection percentage among 3.8 million vaccinated Russians. It is higher than the 91.6% efficacy shown in an interim analysis from the trial published in The Lancet in early February.