Hungary will offer people a third corona jab from August 1, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced on state radio. In addition, there will be a vaccination obligation for healthcare workers.
Orbán says doctors should decide which vaccine to administer as the third dose. According to the prime minister, there must be at least four months between the second and third injection unless doctors advise otherwise.
The country with 10 million inhabitants is one of the fastest vaccinating countries within the European Union. In addition to the vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Hungary also makes extensive use of resources from Russia and China.
More than half of the Hungarian population is fully vaccinated. In recent weeks, the vaccination rate has slowed slightly. Children from 12 years old are eligible for a corona jab just before starting the new school year.
Hungary has a total of almost 810,000 confirmed corona infections and just over 30,000 deaths.