A few days ago, the Austrian Ministry of Health announced that vaccinations carried out using Sinopharm (China) or Sputnik V (Russia) do not make entry easier due to a lack of EMA approvals. That was obviously only half the story, because a look at the entry regulations signed by Wolfang Mückstein (Greens) shows a different picture.

On the list of vaccines that make entry easier in Austria, the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine is also found, contrary to the original information provided by the Mückstein Ministry. The Russian Sputnik-V is not included, so it is not recognized. The fact that the Chinese remedy leads to relief was never publicly communicated by Mückstein and / or his ministry. On the contrary: In a kind of mini PR campaign, it was even emphasized that only those vaccines that are approved by the EMA are recognized.

People from Serbia, the Czech Republic and Hungary, among others, benefit from the approval of the Chinese vaccine, where it is used on the basis of national emergency approvals. Serbia is not a member of the European Union, so this state does not need EMA approvals anyway.

The list of vaccines signed by Wolfang Mückstein was published in Federal Law Gazette II No. 222/2021. The corresponding passage in the original from the ordinance of the minister:

"Appendix I
Vaccines according to Section 2, Paragraph 3
Comirnaty / BNT162b2 / Tozinameran (INN) from BioNtech / Pfizer: 2 doses
ChAdOx1_nCoV-19 / ChAdOx1-S / AZD1222 / Vaxzevria / COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca from AstraZeneca, and Covishield from Serum Institute of India: 2 doses
COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen by Johnson & Johnson / Janssen Pharmaceuticals / Ad26.COV2.S Janssen (US + NL sites): 1 dose
Covid-19 Vaccine Moderna / mRNA-1273 from Moderna: 2 doses
Sinopharm / BIBP (Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co-Ltd.) SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated (InCoV): 2 doses
Mosquito Stone ”

Federal Law Gazette II No. 222/2021

The Federal Law Gazette can under this link in the RIS system of the Federal Chancellery. The passage is at the bottom in front of Wolfgang Mückstein's electronic signature.

The document provided by the ministry, which simplified the entry requirements and was distributed to airlines, among others, clearly shows that the vaccine, which comes from China, is recognized. The document can can be downloaded from the Aviation Direct server using this link.