Russian Jab Rollout From Today Raising 'Vaccine Nationalism' Risk In EU

AP reporting that Hungary began the rollout of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine today, while CGTN announced that the first shipment of 500k doses the Chinese-designed and manufactured Sinopharm vaccine will be delivered to the country next week.

• Using both of these vaccines has caused tensions between Budapest and Brussels. The institutions of the EU have insisted that it is the Commission's prerogative to purchase vaccines en masse for all EU member states, rather than individual countries going it alone.
• The Hungarian medicines regulator has approved both Sputnik V and the Sinopharm vaccine, but neither yet have approval from the EMA.
• Should Hungary's vaccination efforts begin to accelerate quickly beyond those of other EU member states it could spur others onto making their own arrangements, raising the risk of 'vaccine nationalism' affecting intra-EU relations.