MOSCOW, August 4. /TASS/: Experts from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have voiced no concerns about the effectiveness of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper published on the Foreign Ministry’s website on Wednesday.
"Sputnik V is currently undergoing a so-called rolling review by the EMA. In April and May, EU experts visited the medical facilities in Moscow that were involved in the Sputnik V trials, as well as the production facilities. EMA employees maintain direct working contact with Russia’s Health Ministry and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. According to our information, there are no concerns about the vaccine itself and its effectiveness. We believe that it is a subject of depoliticized professional dialogue between related agencies," the Russian top diplomat pointed out.
He noted that nearly 70 countries were already using Sputnik V, including eight European nations. However, some EU officials and member states "are increasing aggressive rhetoric" against the Russian vaccine. According to Lavrov, from the very start, EU officials showed double standards on Russian inoculations. In particular, Brussels concluded multi-billion dollar contracts with a number of Western coronavirus vaccine producers despite the lack of official approval by the EMA.
"We are confident that there is no place for politics in situations where people’s lives and health are at stake. I hope that our EU partners will take it into account in the next stages of the review of the Russian application," the Russian foreign minister emphasized.
The EMA has not yet approved Sputnik V for use in the European Union. On August 11, 2020, Russia became the first country worldwide to register a vaccine against the coronavirus and applied for its approval with the EMA and the World Health Organization. According to data published by the Lancet medical journal, the medication’s effectiveness stands at 91.6%. The EU regulator announced the start of Sputnik V’s rolling review on March 4.
