Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said the country needs a new facility to ensure steady domestic vaccine production and to manufacture its own Covid-19 jab.
Orban argued that “a serious country” cannot rely on getting vaccines and other vital medical supplies from abroad alone.
The University of Debrecen (UD) signed an agreement with the country’s chief medical agency to work on the creation of a National Vaccine Plant, which would ensure a stable vaccine supply.
Human Resources Minister Miklos Kasler said the initiative will “re-launch vaccine production” in Hungary and will serve as a hub for vaccine research.
The country’s chief medical officer, Cecilia Muller, reported earlier this month that UD has been developing a Covid-19 vaccine, whose mechanism is similar to the influenza vaccine.
“Obviously I can’t state the exact date in advance, but I hope that we will be able to produce this vaccine soon,” she said.
Hungarian officials have repeatedly voiced dissatisfaction with the pace of the rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by Brussels, pointing out that the vaccination rate in the EU is smaller compared to places like Britain, the US, and Israel.
On Thursday, Budapest approved the Russian-made Sputnik V and the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca for emergency use.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
