Austria's Kurz Says Vaccine's Safety, Efficacy More Important Than Country Of Origin

The decisive factors in approving a COVID-19 vaccine must be its efficacy and safety rather than the country where it has been produced, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday

VIENNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2021) The decisive factors in approving a COVID-19 vaccine must be its efficacy and safety rather than the country where it has been produced, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday.

"The only thing that must matter is the vaccine's efficacy and safety, not where it comes from. Therefore, we have been in good contact with Russia since February, for which I am very thankful," Kurz said in a statement, released by the Austrian Chancellery.

Vienna considers purchasing Russian vaccine Sputnik V in April-June, according to the statement.

The chancellery confirmed to Sputnik that talks were ongoing and, although there was no agreement yet, Austria was "interested."

Kurz discussed the possible procurement of Sputnik V with Russian President Vladimir Putin in late February. On March 5, the Austrian chancellor met with Kirill Dmitriev, the chief executive of the Russian sovereign wealth fund, which oversees the vaccine's exports.

To date, the Russian vaccine has been approved by 58 countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Hungary, Mexico, Serbia, Slovakia, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.