Hungary Receives Thousands Of Russian COVID Vaccines
By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News reporting from Budapest, Hungary
(Worthy News) – Hungary confirmed Monday that it received thousands of doses of Russia’s controversial COVID-19 vaccine despite European Union concerns.
Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on his Facebook website page that some 6,000 doses were delivered to his country. It was not immediately clear when the shot would be administered in the country, amid EU worries over its safety.
The EU’s European Commission says vaccines using biotechnology must be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) before they can be used in the 27-nation bloc.
But Hungary can deploy Russia’s “Sputnik-V” COVID-19 shot under a 2001 loophole allowing it to put a vaccine on the market in an emergency.
“This comes, of course, with the liability for the [EU] member state,” Commission spokesperson Stefan De Keersmaecker told media. “As far as we are concerned, we are very much in favor of an authorization through the EMA.”
The standoff comes amid Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s frosty relationship with Brussels over his and autocratic style and cozy ties with Russia.
SHIPMENT TO START
Minister Szijjarto said the government would work with local health experts who continue assessing the use of the Russian inoculation in Hungary.
“The shipment will be transported to the National Public Health Centre, where Hungarian experts will have another opportunity to decide on how the vaccine should be used,” he added.
Russia and Hungary agreed last month to let Hungarian doctors and medical experts observe the manufacturing process and laboratory tests for Sputnik V. Szijjarto, who himself recovered of COVID-19, said Hungary wants to have viable vaccines as soon as possible, from either Western or Eastern vendors.
That includes Russian and Chinese vaccines, Hungarian officials said. Underscoring its call for speed, Hungary started vaccinating healthcare workers against the coronavirus with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday
That was a day earlier than most other countries in the European Union who agreed to begin the coordinated effort on Sunday. Hungary received its first shipment of coronavirus vaccines Saturday morning that will be enough to inoculate 4,875 people, state news agency MTI reported.
The nation’s rush comes amid a rising rate of coronavirus infections and deaths. Hungarian authorities reported 316,669 infections and said the coronavirus related death toll has risen to 9,161 on a population of nearly 10 million people.
More than 6,000 people were in the hospital with COVID-19, straining the European country’s underfunded health care system.
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