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Hungary will not participate in the upcoming Brussels vaccine procurement

Hungary does not oppose the vaccine procurement efforts of Brussels, but it does not wish to participate in the next round, Gergely Gulyás, the minister leading the Prime Minister’s Office, said on Thursday.

Hungary ordered 10 million doses of vaccines to cover the period through the end of 2022, a number sufficient to meet the country’s healthcare requirements, Gulyás highlighted. He added that from the end of 2022, the Hungarian vaccination plant in Debrecen will be able to produce the necessary quantities of a Hungarian vaccine.

The minister said that within the new round of vaccine procurement, Hungary would have to purchase 19 million doses of a single manufacturer’s vaccine. He pointed out that since the vaccination program is likely to “slow down,” with its current vaccine reserves, Hungary is prepared even if a third jab becomes necessary, “even with only Western vaccines.”

The minister estimated that the number of vaccinated will reach 5 million this weekend, which will be followed by a further easing of restrictions. Concrete measures will be announced tomorrow by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.