Czechs may consider following Hungary in using vaccines not registered in EU - PM

The Czech Republic may consider using vaccines not registered in the European Union to speed up vaccinations, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Friday on a trip to Hungary, which has given emergency approval to Russian and Chinese vaccines.

"I have spoken about the Russian vaccine, and about the Chinese vaccine, with Chancellor (Angela) Merkel, and the chancellor as well as the Bavarian prime minister are unambiguously calling for this vaccine to be approved by the European Medicines Agency," Babis said after meeting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"Now of course the issue is whether the producer asks for the approval or not, and we of course want to consider, if we get hold of the vaccine, to go the similar way as Hungary did because time is of essence."