Hungary in talks to plug expected shortfall in COVID-19 vaccine deliveries

Hungary's government is in talks with all possible suppliers to make up for an expected shortfall of half a million vaccine doses against COVID-19, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday. Hungary has been at the forefront of the European Union's inoculation drive, while its death rates have also been among the highest in the world. As of Thursday, it had vaccinated 3.1 million people, or nearly a third of its population. 'Inoculations require vaccines and we know that another one of the shots ordered by Brussels will be missing, the (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine will not arrive. That means half a million fewer shots,' Gergely Gulyas told an online briefing.