Hungary opts out of new EU vaccine deal with Pfizer
Hungary is the only European Union country that has decided to opt out of a new vaccine deal the bloc has signed with Pfizer and BioNTech for the supply of up to 1.8 billion doses of their COVID-19 jab, an EU spokesman said.
The Commission on Thursday confirmed the new deal, the third it has signed with the two companies, for the possible purchase of up to 1.8 billion doses until 2023, following 600 million doses ordered via the two previous contracts.
“Hungary opted out of the Pfizer deal,” the EU spokesman said on Thursday.
Gergely Gulyás, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff, confirmed that Hungary had decided not to be part of the joint purchase, expressing confidence in the country’s current supply of vaccines.
Gulyás added that Hungary would also refrain from buying other vaccines through the EU procurement scheme.
“Hungary would not like to take part in the next chapter of Brussels’s vaccine purchase program,” he told a news conference on Thursday.
Even if a booster was needed, “there are plenty of vaccines from Eastern and Western sources as well,” he said.
Orbán has cultivated strong ties with Russia and China, and Hungary has authorised and deployed Russian and Chinese shots before their approval by the EU drugs regulator — the only European Union country to do so.
In March, the government suggested Russian and Chinese COVID-19 vaccines were more effective than Western ones, prompting an outcry from Hungarian scientists and doctors.
The government’s approach seems to be paying off, however: Hungary has given at least one dose of a vaccine to 49% of the adult population, the fourth-fastest rollout in the world, according to a Reuters tally.
Under the joint procurement scheme, the EU has signed deals with six Western vaccine makers to secure up to 2.6 billion doses. The new contract with Pfizer is the first of a second wave of deals meant to ensure the EU has enough doses in the future for boosters and against variants.
Chinese, Russian vaccines saved Hungary HUF 500 bn
Hungary’s use of Chinese and Russian Covid jabs in its vaccination rollout have saved the country more than 500 billion forints (EUR 1.43bn) as pandemic restrictions could be eased earlier, state secretary Tamás Menczer said at a conference in Zalaegerszeg, in western Hungary, on Thursday.
Menczer noted that four million people in Hungary had been inoculated against the coronavirus by April 30, adding that without Chinese and Russian vaccines, that number would not have been reached until “the second half of July”, meaning restrictions could have been in place for “another month and a half or two”.
Menczer said every day the country was locked down generated a loss of 10-15 billion forints.
He added that 48 percent of Hungarians have had at least their first jab of a Covid vaccine, so far, well over the 32 percent rate for the European Union as a whole.
In addition to vaccines Hungary ordered in a joint procurement with the European Union, it also bought Sinopharm jabs from China and doses of Sputnik V from Russia. By late April, just before Hungary reached the 4 million inoculated threshold, deliveries of the Sinopharm and Sputnik vaccines accounted for around half of total Covid vaccine shipments to the country.
Read alsoHungarian government to lift the curfew and allow concerts?
Source: Reuters, MTI
Why would they do that. If we need boosters can you mix the vaccines? Do they know enough about them to be able to do that? Scientists have said how different the make up of the eastern vaccine is to the western ones. If a booster is required as something needed for travel, will it be recognised in the rest of the EU if it’s an eastern vaccine. The EU has just agreed on a pass for travel but only those approved by the EMA are recognised. I’d be interested in what Katalin Karikó has to say about it.
This is good news about the pfizer vaccine being declined for further purchase by the Hungarian authorities. The Pfizer vaccine is bad news for many who took it. If given a choice take the Sputnik vaccine instead.
The “go it alone” attitude of Hungary, using the Russian and Chinese vaccine conglomerations on their citizens, against the European Union policies on vaccines approved by the EMA – will continue to be a major conflict for Hungary – to find a middle ground, if their is such a position, with the European Union bloc members, Britain, United States of America and the wider world.
Anonymous is Correct, that growing scientific data and on-going scientific research and evaluation, that is clearly indicating, the difference of composition, make up of chemicals, being discovered between Eastern produced vaccines – Russian & Chinese – against those – APPROVED – by the EMA in particular – produced in the West.
Trouble times ahead for those of any status residing in Hungary – that have been Immunized with the Russian or Chinese vaccine conglomerations – their MOBILITY around Europe and the World – will be Restricted – possible INDEFINITELY.
FACT: Sinopharm took ages to request Emergency Use Authorization from the WHO – and has not started the EMA track, yet. No comment re Sputnik V – the Russians didn’t even bother, apparently.
Unfortunate for us Hungarians that our Government didn’t use its political muscle in the negotiations to nudge our Chinese and Russian friends to be more transparent to transnational medical agencies and solve the issue!
The leader of D.K. party – DOBREV KLARA – has apparently sent a letter to Lyin. (“I need to put my tiny bum on a Turkish sofa !”) Leyen requesting that the E.U. ‘reserve’ about 20 million more doses of Pfizer vaccine – “in case there is a change of government in Hungary next year”.
The dumb b…ch just doesn’t get it – Hungarians want NOTHING to do with her or Hungary’s worst Prime Minister in living memory (that Ferenc what’s-his-name with the ugly face and even uglier nature).
We suffered under the Soviet / Communist regime for almost fifty years and then had to put up with that
LYING BASTARD for almost a decade before most Hungarians (yet again) said : “NEM, NEM, SOHA !”.
In the immortal words of Jethro Tull, this pair of arrogant fools must be “as thick as a brick”.
There is NO WAY that the ‘sausage coalition’ will be elected next year and – in all probability – several of the current ‘sitting members’ from those opposition parties will lose their seats in Parliament.
Then ‘Mario’, the ‘Anonymous’ anemone and almighty witch doctor ‘Hárviorvos’ – “THE THREE STOOGES” – will probably slit their own throats with a lawn mower.
Oh dear …..
“Caritas” THE SOOTH-SAYER STRIKES AGAIN !
Come on Alfred, it’s time for your medicine
As a foreigner (ineligible for Taj) who can only have Pfizer as a breastfeeding mother, my hope of ever receiving the vaccine here in Hungary is dwindling day by day. As soon as border restrictions are lifted I can get it in my home country at least.