Good news for travellers! Two shots of Sputnik V accepted for international travel to Australia

"Today, the TGA determined that an additional COVID-19 vaccine, the two-dose course of the Gamaleya Institute vaccine (Sputnik V, Russian Federation) would be `recognized` for the purpose of establishing a traveller`s vaccination status," the TGA said in a statement.

Representational Image

Canberra: Australia`s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has recognized the two-dose course of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 as an acceptable form of coronavirus vaccination for travellers.

"Today, the TGA determined that an additional COVID-19 vaccine, the two-dose course of the Gamaleya Institute vaccine (Sputnik V, Russian Federation) would be `recognized` for the purpose of establishing a traveller`s vaccination status," the TGA said in a Monday (January 17, 2022) statement.

The regulator explained that additional data on the Russian vaccine`s effectiveness showed that two doses of Sputnik V demonstrated an average efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 infection of 89 percent and against hospitalization or death of 98-100 percent.

"The single-dose course of the Gamaleya vaccine (`Sputnik Light`) is not currently recognized by the TGA," the Australian regulator specified.