German Vaccination Committee Sees Bavaria's Pre-Order for Russia's Sputnik V as 'Positive'

BERLIN (Sputnik) - German Standing Committee on Vaccination Chairman Thomas Mertens on Thursday approved Bavaria's preliminary order for Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, noting that the information available about the vaccine inspires optimism.

"The released data look pretty fine, I can say that. If the vaccine is tested and approved, personally I will have nothing against its application", chairman Mertens said to the broadcaster ZDF. "I have learned this news from the media, just like you. I consider it fundamentally positive that attempts are being made to supply ourselves with a vaccine".

Family doctor Elke Happich prepares a syringe containing a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine to vaccinate patients at their homes in Cologne, Germany

© REUTERS / THILO SCHMUELGEN

At the same time, the vaccination committee chairman said he did not "find it convincing" that the preliminary order was "Bavaria's unilateral actions". However, Mertens did not propose any alternative and did not say whether the German government should engage in negotiations with Moscow.

Earlier this week, Bavaria signed a memorandum of intent with the Russian Direct Investment Fund on potential Sputnik V deliveries to the region. Under the preliminary contract, the southern German state will receive 2.5 million doses of the vaccine once it is approved by the European Union.