Germany’s vaccine task force is holding talks with Russia about Sputnik V -Quelle

BERLIN, 08.

The source did not provide any further details. Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn confirmed that Berlin will start bilateral talks with Russia on a delivery agreement for the vaccine, as Reuters reported on Wednesday. Continue reading

Spahn told the WDR that the bilateral talks would focus on what quantities the developers of the vaccine could deliver and when.

“You know, in the fourth quarter or 2022 we might still need Sputnik V, but in order to really make a difference, the delivery would have to come in the next two to four-five months in our current situation, otherwise we have more than enough vaccine either way so, “said Spahn.

The introduction of vaccines in Germany has got off to a slow start, hampered by delivery bottlenecks and bureaucracy, although the number of doses administered is expected to increase in the second quarter.

The Russian drug manufacturer R-Pharm has announced that it will be able to manufacture the Russian Sputnik-V vaccine at its plant in the southern German state of Bavaria as soon as it is approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The German vaccine manufacturer IDT Biologika is also in talks about a possible production of the vaccine, but no agreement has been reached.

On Wednesday, the Bavarian prime minister said the German region would buy 2.5 million doses of the Sputnik vaccine if approved by the EMA, adding that the purchase would be made in July. Continue reading

The economics minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in northeast Germany said on Thursday that his state was planning to order 1 million cans of Sputnik V at a price of 10 million euros, which would be paid for by the federal government.

However, other regional leaders said vaccine sourcing should remain in the hands of the federal government.

Reporting by Andreas Rinke

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