Slovakia is expected to rollout Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V in the coming days, Slovak Deputy Prime Minister Igor Matovic has announced
PRAGUE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2021) Slovakia is expected to rollout Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V in the coming days, Slovak Deputy Prime Minister Igor Matovic has announced.
Slovakia received the first batch of Sputnik V on March 1 but due to the absence of certified laboratories in the country, it was sent to Hungary for tests. Last week, the Slovak health ministry announced the completion of the trials that proved the efficacy of the vaccine.
"After excellent results of trials in the OMCL certified laboratory in Hungary ... everything indicates that in the coming days, the vaccination with Sputnik V will begin in Slovakia as well. Last weekend, I agreed with the Russian side that after testing Sputnik V in the OMCL laboratory, it agrees with the start of vaccinations," Matovic wrote on Facebook late on Monday.
The purchase of the Russian vaccine was initiated by Matovic earlier this year, during his tenure as the country's prime minister, and former Health Minister Marek Krajci. The decision to obtain Sputnik V without the approval of the European regulator received massive backlash, which resulted in Krajci and Matovic resigning from their posts. The new cabinet, headed by Eduard Heger, was approved on April 1, and Matovic took the post of deputy prime minister and head of the Finance Ministry.
In early April, the Russian Direct Investment Fund requested Slovakia to return the 200,000 doses of Sputnik V, citing contract violations as the vaccine was being tested in unlicensed research facilities. Later that month, Matovic announced that the two sides reached an agreement, according to which purchased vaccines would be tested in the certified OMCL in Hungary.
