The Sri Lankan government has approved a proposal to buy 7 million doses of Sputnik-V vaccines from Russia, costing $70 million, reported Daily Mirror. So far, the country has only used the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Sri Lankan Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal forwarded by the health ministry. The country plans to inoculate 14 million people. Russian-made Sputnik-V has reported 90 percent efficiency.

The decision to buy Sputnik-V is in line with experts’ recommendations who had earlier suggested not to stick with a single type of vaccine. The Covieshield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, is in short supply due to high demand worldwide.

Furthermore, the government has decided to use the Sputnik-V vaccine in specific areas. “The Sputnik-V will only be used in areas like the Central Province and North Central Province,” Kehliya Rambukwella, the Sri Lankan Media Minister, was quoted as saying by Daily Mirror.

Sri Lanka will also receive 600,ooo doses of China-made Sinopharm vaccines. China had announced donating these vaccines to Sri Lanka. On Saturday last week, the Sri Lankan drug regulator gave emergency use approval to the Chinese vaccines.