Virologist Alexei Agranovsky believes that Russians should not rush to travel abroad yet, since a difficult epidemiological situation remains in some countries. He said this on Monday, May 3, in an interview with the National News Service.
“I would not be in a hurry to travel abroad right now – the coronavirus epidemic is still on the march, and in other countries the situation is not yet rosy, despite the success of foreign vaccines, to which I am quite respectful. Normal vaccines, I am not suspicious. But the situation is turbulent, ”Agranovsky said.
He recalled that those vaccinated with the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine and other vaccines that Russia has are not allowed into Europe.
The virologist also admitted that the EU is trying not to let the Sputnik V vaccine enter the European market deliberately. According to him, this can be done for both economic and political reasons.
Earlier on the same day, it became known that the European Commission, for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, recommended that EU countries allow foreign tourists vaccinated against COVID-19 with drugs certified in the community to enter.
In particular, drugs must be certified by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the World Health Organization (WHO). The Russian vaccine “Sputnik V” has not yet been certified in the EU.
The recommendations will enter into force if approved by the EU Council. This is expected to happen as early as May, so that they come into effect from June.
Earlier, on April 22, EU countries agreed on the technical characteristics of certificates for vaccination of the population against COVID-19. The introduction of such certificates is also planned for June.