Hungary administering vaccines ahead of EMA approval

Hungary administering vaccines ahead of EMA approval

Hungary expects to receive 500,000 doses of the Chinese firm Sinopharm's coronavirus vaccine next week and plans to start administering it soon, becoming the first EU country to use it, prime minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday, breakingnews.ie

Hungary also on Thursday became the first European Union member to administer Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, after its regulator granted the shot emergency use approval rather than waiting for a green light from the EU's European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Hungary wants to speed up its inoculation programme despite delays in Western vaccine deliveries, in order to be able to lift lockdown measures and kickstart the economy. It has also granted approval to Sinopharm's vaccine.

The first 2,800 doses of Sputnik V are being given to those who have registered for inoculations and do not have a chronic disease, the surgeon general has said.

Mr Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, told a briefing that Hungary had decided to issue a certificate of immunity from Covid-19 for those who have been inoculated, those who have recovered from the virus and those who can show the presence of antibodies in a blood test.

Mr Gulyas said the government has not yet decided what exemptions these certificates would entitle the holder to.

5445 views
Поделиться:
Print: