PM: Slovakia to buy 2mln doses of Sputnik V vaccine

Slovakia will procure two millions doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine by June, Prime Minister Igor Matovič (OLaNO) reported from Košice Airport, where the first batch of 200,000 vaccines was delivered on Monday. The vaccine, set to be stored and distributed from Sarisske Michalany (Presov region), will be used in Slovakia as an unregistered medicine under special permission granted by the Health Ministry, which bases its decision on results published in one article in the medical journal The Lancet. Those interested in being inoculated with Sputnik V will need to provide their consent in writing to confirm that they are aware of the fact that the vaccine hasn't been authorized for use by the European Medicines Agency, and that it hasn't been evaluated by the Slovak State Drugs Control Institute either. Health Minister Marek Krajči (OLaNO) confirmed that the inoculation will be carried out strictly on a voluntary basis and not limited by age. Vaccination with Sputnik V is slated to start in two weeks at the very latest. According to the Prime Minister, Slovakia pays 19.95 USD for two doses of the vaccine.