Hungary set to use Chinese vaccine

THE EU’s vaccination strategy faces renewed criticism as it emerged Hungary is set to receive its first shipments of the Chinese jab Sinopharm by the end of the month.

The country, which plans to start administering doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine this week, has ordered enough supplies from Beijing to inoculate 2.5 million people and comes after its prime minister, Victor Orban, criticised the EU’s rollout for ‘ progressing slowly’. Government leaders in the Czech Republic say they may follow Hungary’s lead by also using vaccines yet to be approved by Brussels.

Meanwhile, there have been fresh problems across EU states, including in Germany, where there are calls to punish those who skip queues for jabs amid reports that managers of some clinics got their injections before doctors and nurses.