ZAGREB, 17 February 2021 - The Russian COVID-19 vaccine can be delivered to Croatia within two to three weeks provided that the two countries reach an agreement to that effect, Russian Embassy spokesman Matvey Sidorov told Hina on Wednesday.
Croatian Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Wednesday morning that the government was considering purchasing the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine even before its approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
As for the amount of vaccine that might arrive in one shipment, Beroš said that this depended on Croatia's logistical capabilities given that vaccines had a shelf life.
Citing sources close to the government, Jutarnji List newspaper said on Tuesday that the amount in question was one million doses.
Sidorov said that this depended on an agreement with the manufacturer, the Russian Direct Investment Fund, but that otherwise there were no limitations.
The EU is not preventing its member states from purchasing vaccines from manufacturers with which the Commission has not concluded an agreement, as is the case with Sputnik V. Any member state that purchases such a vaccine is responsible for its approval and the vaccine can be used only on its own territory. Hungary is the only EU member state to have done so.
Russia reportedly intends to request EMA's approval for its vaccine in April.
In the event of an agreement with Russia, Croatia has two options: it can either have the Sputnik V vaccine delivered to Croatia and store it pending EMA's approval or it can approve the vaccine itself and start using it as soon as it arrives.
