Hungary is the first European Union country where vaccination can be started with these two vaccines, Origo said.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is already in use in Britain but the EU medicine authority is not expected to approve it before the end of January.

The vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca is cheaper and easier to transport than Pfizer and BioNTech’s similar products.

A total of 200 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were produced in 2020 and once the necessary licences are issued, monthly output can total up to 200 million, the website said. The vaccine is based on a safe and well-known method of injecting modified chimpanzee adenovirus in the body which is completely safe for humans.

Origo also noted that some 1.5 million people have been vaccinated with the Sputnik V shot in Russia and it has been registered in six countries including Serbia.

It is based on two human adenoviruses containing the gene that encodes the spike protein to stimulate an immune response.
Origo added that the two manufacturers have been in talks on cooperation since Dec. 8.


Photo: koronavirus.gov.hu