“We have entered a decisive phase of the battle,” the Prime Minister pointed out. He said at the meeting of the Operational Group they reviewed the vaccination plan one more time and approved it. Physicians, nurses, and intensive care workers fighting for the lives of patients will have the opportunity to have themselves vaccinated from the first batch of vaccine, Mr Orbán stated. He indicated that mass vaccination would also start in Hungary later, but the exact date was not yet known. As for the vaccine that will be used for mass vaccination, that will depend on the licensing procedures conducted by the EU and Hungarian authorities.

The government is conducting talks with everyone; they are equally engaged in negotiations about Western, Eastern, European, Russian, Chinese and Israeli products awaiting approval, he added. The Prime Minister repeatedly stressed that mass vaccination would be voluntary and free of charge; at the same time, he asked everyone who wanted to have themselves vaccinated to register.

At the meeting of the Operational Group, they further inspected the digital version of the vaccination certificate that was developed by the Ministry of Interior. The government is preparing for a protocol so that those who are immune to the virus because they have had themselves vaccinated or had the virus earlier should have a certificate verifying this, Mr Orbán said, observing that this is in harmony with EU aspirations relating to the creation of digital passports.

Until mass vaccination becomes available, however, the Prime Minister asked the people to observe the rules and to take care of one another also during the holidays. “If we stand together and take care of one another, we will be able to reduce the speed of the spread of the virus as we did once before. Every life matters,” the Prime Minister said in conclusion.