Germany To Talk To Russia About Buying Sputnik Jabs

German officials will talk to Russia about purchasing doses of its Sputnik V virus vaccine if it gets approval from European regulators, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Thursday

Berlin (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2021 ) :German officials will talk to Russia about purchasing doses of its Sputnik V virus vaccine if it gets approval from European regulators, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Thursday.

Spahn told public broadcaster WDR that Germany was prepared to go it alone without the European Union if it meant the country could speed up its inoculation campaign.

"The EU Commission said yesterday that it will not sign contracts (for Sputnik) like for other manufacturers -- such as BioNTech, for example -- so I said... we will hold bilateral talks with Russia," Spahn said.

The minister did not indicate when the talks would take place but said they would initially cover "when supplies could arrive".

"To really make a difference in our current situation, the delivery would have to come in the next two to four, five months -- otherwise we'll have more than enough vaccines," Spahn said.

He said Germany was seeking a "binding commitment on which amounts specifically could reach Germany after regulatory approval and when".

Germany has until now coordinated its vaccine buying with the EU.

But the southern state of Bavaria said on Wednesday it had signed a letter of intent to buy up to 2.5 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine if it is approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

In addition to the option of importing the vaccine from Russia, a production facility is also to be set up by the pharmaceutical company R-Pharm in the town of Illertissen.