The Minister confirmed that the results of the tests are good and Slovakia will now decide on the next step. Only the consent of the Russian side is awaited vaccination. According to Lengvarsky, the Russians have time to test samples delivered to Slovakia by the end of May, and Sputnik could start vaccinating the country in June.
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However, it is not clear whether Sputnik will really be vaccinated, and the minister himself was not able to say so. “There are basically only two options, and that is to allow or not to allow vaccination with this unregistered vaccine,” said Lengvarský.
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The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has not yet approved Sputnik V.
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Slovakia ordered two million Sputnik V vaccines and the first delivery of 200,000 units arrived at Košice Airport on March 1. Since then, the vaccines have been stored in a warehouse and are not used for vaccination because the Slovak Medicines Authority had doubts about its composition. In addition, Slovakia was late in paying for the first delivery, and the Russians then returned the payment.
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The Russians, meanwhile, have taken 600 doses of Sputnik V vaccine, which they have supplied to Slovakia, and are controlling them in their laboratories. “They asked for a month to check it out under their direction,” Lengvarsky said. Sputnik V is not a registered vaccine in the European Union and only Hungary uses it in the Member States.
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The then Prime Minister Igor Matovič and the then Minister of Health Marek Krajčí were behind the purchase of Sputnik. The purchase provoked a government crisis in Slovakia, because other coalition parties were against it, and after the reconstruction of the government cabinet, Matovič and Krajčí lost their positions. However, Matovič continues in the government as Minister of Finance.
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