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Friday, April 19, 2024

Orban: We can vaccinate everyone who registered

By V4 Agency

We are on the offensive with the help of the vaccine, but at the same time we are also on the defensive against the third wave. This is only natural, because we always do what we need to do, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the National Assembly on Tuesday, where he was grilled by MPs on the government’s pandemic response.

Viktor Orban said the government was always adapting to the actual situation, and added that due to the Eastern vaccines, the country had every chance to inoculate everyone who had registered.

“We will be the first European country to be able to do this,” the prime minister said, adding that he would do everything to reach that goal. He asked the opposition not to talk people out of having themselves inoculated.

Regarding the Eastern jabs he said some half a million people have already received them, and they saved the lives of hundreds of people, who would have died otherwise.

Speaking about the vaccination points, he said the jabs are being administered by 5005 general practitioners, 629 hospitals and more than 100 specialist centres in Hungary. Today there is a shortage of vaccines but not of vaccination points, he added.

Mr Orban noted that he found it rather painful that the country has not received enough vaccine doses from Brussels, even though it paid for them.

“I have the contracts signed by the EU in my hands, but I cannot disclose them to the public as it would trigger rule-of-law proceedings against us,” he pointed out.

Regarding helping those in distress because of the epidemic, PM Orban said the government has decided to help businesses with an interest-free loan of 10 million forints (28 thousand euros) and also provides wage subsidies. In addition, it has waived contributions, reduced several types of taxes and offers investment support. Those who have lost their jobs are entitled to a job seeking allowance for three months, which is followed by an offer in the public employment scheme.

These measures will help in overcoming the epidemic economically, Viktor Orban stressed.

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