Austria in talks with Russia for 1M Sputnik vaccine doses

Austria is in talks with Russia to buy 1 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine, according to a statement on Tuesday from Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s office.

Kurz first telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 26 to discuss possible deliveries of the Russian vaccine, and then later that day contacted the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is responsible for the international distribution of Sputnik V. Talks have continued since then.

“There must be no geopolitical blinkers when it comes to vaccines,” Kurz said. “The only thing that matters is whether the vaccine is effective and safe, not where it comes from.”

The countries are negotiating the supply of 300,000 doses in April, 500,000 in May and 200,000 in June, the statement said. Vienna has signed a confidentiality agreement with Russia on the exchange of documents, and a purchase decision has not yet been made.

It’s the latest move by Austria to boost vaccine supplies in the country. It has just threatened to block the European Commission from securing another 100 million BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine doses unless Vienna gets a bigger slice of the delivery, according to diplomats from three EU countries.

If Austria goes ahead with Sputnik, it will join Hungary in using the jab in Europe despite not having been approved in the EU. This could pose problems with so-called “vaccine certificates” allowing travel, which the Commission is working on now. The EU may stipulate that only EU-approved vaccines are acceptable, as countries like Lithuania have called for, thereby restricting movement for Europeans who have gotten Russian or Chinese jabs.

The European Medicines Agency began a rolling review of first data submitted for Sputnik at the start of the month and is preparing to inspect production sites in Russia.

Sputnik has divided the EU, with countries in the Baltics and ex-Soviet regions strongly opposed while others, including Germany, have been more favorable as long as the EMA signs it off. Germany and Italy support an advanced purchase agreement of Sputnik for the bloc.

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