PRAGUE, February 20. /TASS/. Opinion polls show that about 300,000 residents of Slovakia want to be vaccinated with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Igor Matovic was quoted as saying by the Pravda newspaper.
"If we give our people an opportunity to get vaccinated with Sputnik V, the number of those ready for vaccination will grow by 300,000 people," he said. "68.2% residents of Slovakia want to be vaccinated by [Western-made] preparations that are currently being supplied to the republic. If the country starts receiving Sputnik V, the number will grow to 73.9%."
The government’s aim is to vaccinate 80% of the country’s population, now estimated at 5.46 million.
According to the premier, the country should not hesitate with Sputnik V purchases from Russia, waiting until the Russian-made vaccine is registered by the European Medicines Agency.
Slovakia is experiencing an acute lack of COVID-19 vaccines, which it receives with the mediation of the European Commission. The mortality from coronavirus-related causes is on the rise in the republic. According to Matovic, the VOC-202012/01 strain of the novel coronavirus, first discovered in the United Kingdom, is responsible for more than 90% of cases that are currently being registered in the republic. The strain, believed to be more contagious than the original version of the virus, is spreading rapidly across Slovakia.
The premier expressed his disappointment by the government’s failure to come to terms on Sputnik V purchases. The cabinet is to address the issue this weekend, he said.
"Geopolitical rivalry, as a result of which Russia is being portrayed as something bad, cannot be placed above safeguarding the health of our citizens," he said. "People must not be denied the right to choose the type of vaccine that will be injected to them. We must put geopolitical games aside and start treating the vaccine only as a medicine.".