Slovakia becomes second EU nation to administer Russian vaccine

A woman is administered the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine in Zilina, Slovakia (Erika Durcova/AP)

Slovakia has become the second European Union country to administer the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine.

Slovakia has 200,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine available and approved its use on May 26.

But so far, only about 5,000 people have registered to receive the two-shot vaccine in the nation of 5.4 million.

Hungary was the first EU nation to use Sputnik V, which has not been authorised by the European Medicines Agency.

Vials of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine in Zilina, Slovakia (Erika Durcova/AP)

A secret deal for Slovakia to purchase two million Sputnik V jabs orchestrated by then-prime minister Igor Matovic triggered a political crisis in March that resulted in the Slovak government’s collapse.

Slovakia has been administering the Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca jabs, and will also use Johnson & Johnson, also known as Janssen.

All of those vaccines have been authorised by EMA.

Sputnik V is administered to people 18 to 60 and is available in eight vaccination centres.