Coronavirus – Hungary in vaccine talks with China, Russia, Israel

Hungary is in talks with China, Russia and Israel on buying vaccines against the coronavirus once they are developed, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Monday.

Data regarding the spread of the virus is “worrying” worldwide, Szijjártó said on Facebook. A vaccine could lead to a breakthrough in combating the pandemic, he said.

Research is in its final stages in Russia and China, and vaccines may be ready for commercial use within “weeks or months,” Szijjártó said.

Szijjártó talked by phone with Russian Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov and Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko.

“We agreed to stay in contact to clear up issues regarding test results, permit procedures and the wide-ranging use of vaccines,” Szijjártó said.

Meanwhile, Hungary has also contacted the authorities in Israel, where research is also under way, Szijjártó said.

As we wrote before, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has pledged to procure COVID-19 vaccines, which will be made available to all citizens who want it.

Orbán has said that his administration was engaged in talks on purchasing vaccines from China and Russia, adding that

Hungary could have access to 2-3 different vaccines in the spring.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, countries across the globe are racing to find a vaccine. According to the website of the World Health Organization, as of Oct. 29, there were 201 COVID-19 candidate vaccines being developed worldwide, and 45 of them were in clinical trials.