By Tony Winterburn • Published: 22 Jan 2021 • 7:36
Hungary Becomes First EU State to Approve Russia’s Sputnik V Covid Vaccine. image: Wikimedia
Hungary Becomes First EU State to Approve Russia’s Sputnik V Covid Vaccine.
Two more nations have granted approval for the use of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, with Hungarian Minister Gergely Gulyas saying his country had become the first EU member to sign off on the formula. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) soon followed suit and approved the vaccine for use in the Kingdom.
Developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, Sputnik V was not originally among those listed for procurement in Brussels and is still under consideration by the bloc’s central regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA). While Hungary has already received doses as part of clinical trials, Gulyas, who has led much of the country’s coronavirus response, told journalists on Thursday that he hoped a “larger quantity” of the jab would soon be secured.
In a statement posted on Sputnik V’s website, Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which funded the development of the jab, welcomed the decision, saying “Hungary is the first EU country to realize all the advantages of the Sputnik V vaccine and authorize its use. This decision is very important as it demonstrates that the vaccine’s safety and efficacy of over 90 per cent are highly regarded by our partners in Hungary.”
UAE approval comes amid a dramatic surge in infections
The approval from the UAE comes amid a record surge in cases in the small Gulf sheikhdom, which has stood out internationally for welcoming tourists and fully reopening its economy by late summer of last year.
Confirmed coronavirus cases have more than tripled in a span of roughly three weeks, leading Emirati authorities to suspend nonessential surgeries in hospitals and “entertainment activities” in its bustling hotels and restaurants just days after assuring the country that the virus was under control.
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