Murashko said that the WHO inspection of Sputnik V is expected in February

The Ministry of Health expects that the World Health Organization (WHO) inspectorate will arrive in Russia to check the sites where the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine is produced in February. This was announced by the head of the department Mikhail Murashko, TASS reports.

“All the data [on the Sputnik V vaccine] has been transferred to WHO, the dossier has been formed, we are waiting for their decision, we expect a visit in the first quarter, in February,” Murashko said.

The last time WHO inspectors visited Russia was in the summer of 2021. Then they discovered violations at one of the four enterprises where Sputnik V is produced, OJSC Pharmstandard - Ufa Vitamin Plant. Experts expressed concerns about the implementation of "measures to reduce the risk of cross-contamination of the vaccine" and "control of aseptic conditions on the filling lines." As a result, the approval process for the Russian vaccine was suspended. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that the manufacturer has corrected all identified shortcomings.

In October, WHO resumed the process of approving a Russian COVID-19 vaccine , but said that Russia had not yet transmitted some data on Sputnik V. The Kremlin explained that the Russian side did not send the documents because "there was a different understanding of what exactly the information should be and how it should be provided."