EU will not procure Sputnik V vaccine, member states can do so individually

The Russian coronavirus vaccine "Sputnik V" is not part of the European Union's vaccination strategy at this stage, but EU member states will be able to purchase it independently if approved by the regulator, said a European Commission representative at a briefing in Brussels.

"Whether 'Sputnik V' will be part of the vaccination strategy or not – EU member states and the European Commission can always discuss this," the EU stated.
One of the criteria for selecting vaccines for centralized procurement in the EU is the existence of production facilities within the EU, which should facilitate Europeans' access to the vaccine and minimize the risks of supply disruptions.

Currently, vaccines from "Pfizer/BioNTech", "Moderna", and "AstraZeneca" are approved on the EU market. The European Commission has also signed agreements with "Johnson & Johnson", "Sanofi GSK", and "CureVac" for vaccine supplies to the EU.

It was previously announced that the Russian Direct Investment Fund submitted an application for the registration of the Russian vaccine "Sputnik V" in the European Union on January 29, and there is confirmation that Brussels has received the application. It is emphasized that the speed at which the application will be approved depends on the European Medicines Agency.

Let us recall that the reputable scientific journal "The Lancet" announced that "Sputnik V" is a safe and effective vaccine that provides complete protection against severe cases of COVID-19. After months of research by Russian immunologists involving 19,866 volunteers, the third phase of clinical trials was completed, confirming the vaccine's efficacy at 91.6 percent.