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Coronavirus pandemic

Sputnik V use will help Austria speed up vaccination campaign, says Chancellor

According to him, delivery of 1 million doses of the Russian drug could be an "additional turbine" that will put Austria at the forefront of vaccination

© FK Sistema Press Office/TASS

VIENNA, April 1. /TASS/. The use of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine will significantly accelerate the vaccination campaign in Austria, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told reporters on Thursday.

"I definitely advocate buying this vaccine. Negotiations on the contract are at the final stage. It's good that Russia gives preference to Austria, so we could get the first vaccine in April," he said.

"Of course, one million doses of Sputnik will significantly accelerate the implementation of our vaccination plan. This will allow us to save lives and guarantee jobs," Kurz added.

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Austria’s talks with Russia on purchase of Sputnik V move into final stretch

According to him, delivery of 1 million doses of the Russian drug could be an "additional turbine" that will put Austria at the forefront of vaccination.

Speaking about the prospects for the registration of the Russian drug in Austria, Kurz said that the government of the republic is now considering "various opportunities that can be used."

On March 31, after a working meeting with Russian Ambassador to Vienna Dmitry Lyubinsky Kurz said that Austria might order the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine from Russia as early as next week.

Kurz confirmed that Vienna plans to receive the Russian vaccine in three tranches - in April, May and June 2021.

In early March, Sebastian Kurz held a meeting with Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is in charge of Sputnik V international production and deliveries. According to Kurz, Austria is not only keen to buy Sputnik V, but also to cooperate in its production. Austria and Russia inked a non-disclosure agreement that binds Austria to keep information when the confidential documents are exchanged and to provide access to the information about the vaccine by the two countries’ health ministries.

Austria launched a vaccination campaign in December 2020, using the Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines.

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