No side effects of vaccine reported so far

Istvan Valyi Nagy told public news channel M1 on Monday that immunity will develop some three weeks after getting the first jab.

He warned hospitals to store the vaccine carefully. The first shipment that arrived on Saturday is stored in an area equipped with railings, security cameras and alarms, he said.

He also warned members of the public not to buy vaccination of uncontrolled origin online because chances are high that such products are not genuine.

He said several new strains of the virus have been identified, most recently in Nigeria. Their symptoms are similar to previously known variants but they spread more easily than the coronavirus wide-spread in Europe, he added. Similarly to the strain that recently spread in England, the new version identified in Africa also spreads mostly among younger people, he said.

Valyi Nagy said a new US medicine was available to treat coronavirus patients and several thousand doses ordered by the South Pest Central Hospital thanks to cooperation with the human resources ministry are scheduled to arrive in early January.