Madrid Deputy Health Adviser Antonio Zapatero said on Friday that the Spanish capital's metropolitan area has urged the government to pressure the European Medicines Agency (EMA) into speeding up the authorization of the "obviously good" Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V
MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th April, 2021) Madrid Deputy Health Adviser Antonio Zapatero said on Friday that the Spanish capital's metropolitan area has urged the government to pressure the European Medicines Agency (EMA) into speeding up the authorization of the "obviously good" Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V.
"The media says that the authorities of Bavaria [southeastern German state] and even the German government will buy [Sputnik V] directly the moment the EMA gives its approval. So I strongly urge the government to put pressure on the EMA to have this vaccine available as soon as possible, as its results have been published and are obviously good," Zapatero said at a press conference.
The official said that Madrid had also met and discussed the availability with other vaccine developers.
The Madrid government said this week that it had been in talks for procurement of Sputnik V pending the approval of the EMA, which began a rolling review on March 4. Despite Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez' criticism, Madrid's regional head, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, stood by the move and reaffirmed the intent to procure the Russian vaccine.
Sputnik V has been authorized for emergency use in 59 countries, including in such EU member states as Hungary and Slovakia. According to an interim analysis of results of clinical trials published in The Lancet peer-reviewed journal, the vaccine has 91.6 percent efficacy.
