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Coronavirus pandemic

Following talks with Russia, Austria can now purchase Sputnik V vaccine, chancellor says

Accoridng to Sebastian Kurz, Sputnik V would be an additional booster for the vaccination campaign in Austria with a volume of 1 mln doses

Sebastian Kurz AP Photo/Ronald Zak

Sebastian Kurz

© AP Photo/Ronald Zak

VIENNA, April 10. /TASS/. Negotiations between Austria and Russia on the purchase of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine have come to an end, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Saturday. According to him, now Austria can purchase this drug.

Accoridng to him, Sputnik V would be an additional booster for the vaccination campaign in Austria with a volume of 1 mln doses. The de facto contract negotiations have come to an end, which means that a purchase for Austria is possible, he added.

TASS reported on Friday that Austria hopes for the soonest certification of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine by the European Medicines Agency but can register it independently and is currently looking at ways how to do that.

"We are close to a contract with Russia (for supplies of the Russian vaccine)," a source in the Austrian government told TASS, adding that Austria should either wait for the EMA certification of the Russian vaccine or register it independently via its national regulator.

Austria’s Federal Chancellery said in late March that Vienna was in talks with Moscow on possible purchase of one million Sputnik V doses to vaccinate 500,000 people. The vaccine can be supplied in three takes - in April, May, and June 2021. The sides have already signed a non-disclosure agreement during the exchange of confidential documents.

The European Medicines Agency said on March 4 it had begun the Sputnik V evaluation procedures to look at its compliance with the EU efficacy, safety and quality standards. The Agency anticipates that the registration of the Russian vaccine could be over by late May.

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