Sputnik V (source: TASR)
Whether Slovakia will vaccinate with the Sputnik V vaccine will be decided at the May 26 government session.
Health Minister Vladimír Lengvarský (OĽaNO nominee) said at a discussion on Radio Expres that he will grant permission for vaccination if the majority of ministers will vote for vaccination.
“I support a European solution,” he said. “I see that there is group of people who only prefer this vaccine, so also taking into consideration the fact of increasing the vaccination rate percentage, we have to deal with this issue.”“I support a European solution,” he said. “I see that there is group of people who only prefer this vaccine, so also taking into consideration the fact of increasing the vaccination rate percentage, we have to deal with this issue.”
Minister added that the problem is incomplete data from the Russian side, but there should not be any doubts on the safety of vaccines.
Lengvarský added that preparations of centres for possible vaccination with the Russian vaccine have already started.
Vaccines will expire in two months
The decision should be made as soon as possible, because half the first supply of vaccines meant for the first dose will expire in July, the Sme daily reported.
Juraj Kamaras, Chair of the Imuna Pharm company where Sputnik V vaccines have been stored since March 1 when brought to Slovakia, said that they are ready to start the distribution of vaccines to vaccination centres even tomorrow, like the distribution of other vaccines. Neither has he information about the roll-out of the Sputnik V vaccination in Slovakia.
If Slovakia does not use the first 100,000 doses to expire in July, the other 100,000 stored in Šarišské Michaľany will be good for nothing. Each dose of Sputnik is different and it cannot be replaced.
Moreover, not only the EU but several member states do not want to acknowledge vaccination with Sputnik V when travelling across the borders.
Sputnik V has not been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), unlike all other vaccines used in Slovakia. The Russian side still has not applied in EMA for the vaccine's registration, according to EMA.
