Czech Republic Turns to Sputnik V without EU Approval

Czech President Milos Zeman will not wait for the EU to approve the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. On Feb. 27 he announced that he had sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, requesting a supply of the vaccine, and announcing that the certification of the Czech Republic’s State Institute for Drug Control would be sufficient authorization for its use. Zeman appears to have overruled his Health Minister Jan Blatny, who had eliminated any actions with Sputnik V until and unless the EU first approved.