RIO DE JANEIRO, September 12. /TASS/. Brazil will receive 50 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine by March, and this amount can be doubled, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev in an interview with the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo on Friday.

"We will be able to start producing and supplying the first doses to Brazil in November-December, in small quantities. <...> In January, February, there will be more. By March, 50 million doses, and maybe even 100 million doses, which is enough for half of the population of Brazil," Dmitriev said as quoted by the publication. According to him, Brazil is a strategic partner of the RDIF, since it has production facilities that allow the supply of the entire South America with a domestic drug.

Earlier, the RDIF announced the signing of a cooperation agreement with the state of Bahia for the supply of up to 50 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to Brazil.

In August, RDIF and the government of the Brazilian state of Parana signed a memorandum suggesting the organization of the third phase of clinical trials of the vaccine and its further production.

In late August, the Federal University of Technology - Parana announced that it plans to send an application to the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) by the end of September.

According to Dmitriev, in addition to the states of Parana and Bahia, another five Brazilian states are showing interest in the Russian vaccine. He also confirmed earlier information that RDIF has been in talks with the Brazilian federal government.

On August 11, the Sputnik V vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology received a registration certificate from the Russian Health Ministry, becoming the world’s first registered coronavirus vaccine. More information on the Sputnik V vaccine and other details are available at sputnikvaccine.com.