The foreign minister said the sooner coronavirus vaccine production capacities can be increased the more successfully the emergence of new variants could be prevented.
Speaking at a conference of foreign and health ministers of the European Union in Lyon, Péter Szijjártó said that shortage of capacities was a challenge and called for fast action worldwide to build sufficient production facilities. According to a statement from the foreign ministry, Minister Szijjártó noted the ongoing construction of Hungary’s national vaccine plant, adding that Hungary could contribute to the global vaccine production starting late this year. “It is time the world at last realised that choosing a vaccine is not making a political statement… licencing or rejecting vaccines should not be a political decision,” he said. “It is clearer than daylight that the eastern vaccines Hungary uses are working well, they are safe and effective, and international organisations had better take a technical rather than a political decision on the matter,” he added. The conference was convened under the auspices of the EU’s French presidency to find ways to help developing countries in their fight against the pandemic.
Photo credit: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter