Covid-19: Czech Republic turns to Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Samples of the Sputnik V vaccine developed against the coronavirus by the Gamaleya Research Institute in Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russia.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) / Handout via REUTERS

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Currently severely affected by the pandemic, the Czech Republic is trying to speed up imports of vaccines against the coronavirus.

For the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister, the Russian Sputnik V vaccine is a serious option, even without the endorsement of the European Medicines Agency. 

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With our correspondent in Prague

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Alexis Rosenzweig

According to the Czech president, Russia is ready to send Sputnik V vaccines as soon as possible, after he has requested it from his counterpart Vladimir Putin. 

Andrej Babis, the Czech Prime Minister, believes that only the agreement of the national authority would be necessary - but according to the director of this authority, without the endorsement of the European Medicines Agency, the responsibility will fall to the Ministry of Health .

In any case, the Czech Republic would not be the first country in the European Union to have its population vaccinated with this Russian vaccine, Hungary having already decided to do so.

The administrative green light does not mean that the Czechs will rush to be inoculated with Sputnik V - for historical reasons, mistrust of Russia is an important parameter here, although head of state Milos Zeman says that "Vaccines have no ideology".

Close to Moscow and Beijing, the Czech president is also in favor of the import of Chinese vaccines.

The Czech Republic is one of the countries most affected by the epidemic at present - since Monday the authorities have stepped up containment measures in an attempt to unclog already overloaded hospitals. 

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  • Czech Republic

  • Health and medicine