Slovakia Approves Sputnik V Vaccine

In a March 1, 2021 press release, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced that the Sputnik V vaccine for COVID-19 has been approved in Slovakia under the emergency use authorization procedure.

The latest approval marks the second within the European Union for the Russian vaccine and makes Slovakia the 39th country in the world to authorize the use of Sputnik V in coronavirus patients. The Slovakian authorization decision was based on a comprehensive assessment of the vaccine by Slovakian experts and the results of the Russian clinical trials.

“In Europe Sputnik V vaccine has been approved in Slovakia, Hungary, San-Marino, Serbia, Montenegro, Republika Srpska, Belarus, and Russia with other countries of the region also showing strong interest in it,” saidKirill Dmitriev, CEO of RDIF, in the press release. “Vaccine partnership and diversification of national vaccine portfolios are the key for helping people feel safe and protected, restoring economic activity, and ending the pandemic as soon as possible. We have received numerous requests from EU states to provide Sputnik V directly to them based on the reviews of their national agencies. We will continue to do so as well as work with [the European Medicines Agency] based on the rolling review procedure we initiated in January.”