WHO says in talks with Russian institute on Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) is in discussions with the Russian institute that developed the Sputnik V candidate vaccine against COVID-19 over its potential application for emergency use listing, the U.N. agency said on Thursday.

In a statement to Reuters, the WHO said: "We look forward to receiving the data for their Sputnik V candidate vaccine. If a product submitted for assessment is found to meet the criteria for listing, WHO will publish the results widely."

By granting the vaccine emergency use listing, the WHO would effectively be recommending its use to member states.

Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to interim trial results, the country's sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Gareth Jones)