Hungary will begin vaccinating its critical infrastructure workers against coronavirus, the chief medical officer said on Wednesday.
The next category to be inoculated will be people working in key sectors, including electricity distribution companies and public transport, Cecília Müller told an online press briefing of the operative board responsible for handling the pandemic.
With the virus spreading even more rapidly than before, the operative board and the national vaccination working group has decided to expand Hungary’s vaccination drive to cover the employees of Budapest transport authority BKK, the Paks nuclear power plant, state-owned energy company MVM and railway companies MÁV and GYSEV, Müller said.
“We must expand the circle of vaccine recipients while continuing to inoculate those over the age of 65 at vaccination points and GP clinics,” she said.
Müller also said that while Hungary was making good progress with its vaccination drive, it still did not have access to enough vaccines.
The chief medical officer said Hungary’s health-care system was under “enormous strain”, which could only be reduced if everyone observes hygiene guidelines and gets the vaccine.
Meanwhile, she said average concentrations of the virus in Hungary’s wastewater systems were stabilising, and even declining in Salgótarján, Tatabánya and five localities near Budapest.
On another subject, Müller said Hungary was expected to receive the first shipment of Johnson and Johnson’s single-dose Janssen vaccine in the second half of April, with the amount to be specified a few days before delivery.
Featured photo illustration by Zoltán Balogh/MTI
