The Leningrad region of Russia which surrounds its second-largest city St. Petersburg is facing shortages of the country’s homemade Sputnik V vaccine, local media reported Monday.

While Moscow has boasted of its global deliveries of Sputnik V, which has been approved in over 50 countries, concerns over Russia’s capacity to produce enough doses for its own population have persisted.

Just 975 Sputnik V doses remain in the entire Leningrad region, with 282 people receiving either the first or second dose in the past day, the St. Petersburg-based 47news.ru news website reported, citing the regional health committee.

Previously, an average of 3,000 people per day had been receiving the vaccine across the region, which has a population of roughly 2 million. Overall, 61,572 people in the Leningrad region have been vaccinated, half of whom (37,288 people) have received the second dose. 

The local Health Ministry did not confirm to 47news when a new batch of vaccine doses would be delivered to the region. 

Following reports of Sputnik V shortages in St. Petersburg last week, authorities vowed to replenish the shrinking supplies. A batch of 15,300 doses was delivered to the city on Friday, the first shipment since February.

However, reports have said that this supply would only be enough for 6-7 days at the current rate of vaccinations.  

Currently, only 90 out of the city’s 129 vaccination centers are operational, the Fontanka.ru news website reported Friday.

(C)MOSCOW TIMES 2021