Guwahati News Desk: Hungary has come out as the first country in the 27-member bloc (European Union) to approve Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine and is the only one to deploy the Sinopharm vaccine of China.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, more than 5.1 million doses of the Sinopharm jab have been distributed to Hungary, of which it has successfully administered more than 2 million.
As per the sources, Hungary’s capital city, Budapest, is currently offering free antibody testing to its elderly residents. For which, over 20,000 free tests have been made available for the Budapest residents.
The Associated Press stated, that the tests are available to anyone over 60 regardless of which vaccine they have received.
Among the many vaccinated folk, some who had undergone the antibody test at certain private laboratories, for them the results indicated that their bodies had not developed antibodies to defend against Covid-19.
According to Ambrus Kiss, the Budapest Deputy Mayor, such reports came primarily from the people who had received China’s Sinopharm vaccine.
Kiss further convinced the city leaders that there was “a genuine problem” and that the government should consider offering third doses of Sinopharm to those with inadequate immune response.
Kiss added, “If there is such a loss of confidence in certain vaccines, then the government needs to order a third dose and free up the capacities for giving them.”
However, the government officials are insisting that there is no reason to offer a third dose of the Sinopharm vaccine.
While, the critics of the jab, including Budapest’s liberal mayor Gergely Karacsony, doubt its efficacy.
According to sources, the testing drive will continue from next week and initial results will likely be released next week with the full results expected by the end of the month.
Photo | Getty Image