Speaking after a meeting of the operative board coordinating Hungary’s response to the epidemic, Orbán said on Facebook that doctors, nurses and hospital staff working in intensive care units will be the first to be vaccinated.

This first round of vaccinations will be followed by a mass vaccination programme later on, he said, adding however, that the exact date when the programme could begin was not yet known.

The decision on the vaccine to be used in the programme will depend on the vaccine approval process handled by the European Union and the Hungarian authorities, the prime minister said.

Hungary is in talks on procuring vaccines from the United States, Europe, Russia, China and Israel, he said, adding that talks were also ongoing on vaccines that have yet to be approved.

Orbán also said the government was preparing to issue an immunisation verification form to those that either receive the Covid-19 vaccine or have recovered from the disease. He said this was consistent with an EU plan for the introduction of digital passports.


MTI photo: Zoltán Máthé