These are the first citizens of Serbia to receive the corona virus vaccine

Photo: Tanjug / AP

Serbia “queued” for the purchase of 1.8 million doses of vaccines against the coronavirus, through the KOVAKS system, and what is known is that the first to be vaccinated will be health workers, the police and the army, categories of the population for which vaccination will be mandatory. .

It is not yet known exactly when the first doses of vaccines will arrive in our country, it is expected by the end of the year.

The reason for this is that no pharmaceutical company has received approval for widespread use.

Three manufacturers went the furthest: Pfizer, BIontek, and Moderna.

Russia registered the “Sputnik V” vaccine in August, but the competent vaccine institutions, the EU and the US, “suspect” its vaccine, because, they say, the third phase of human research has not been completed. completed.

The Chinese vaccine was also not favored by western European countries.

Membership in the KOVAKS program is a confirmation that we will receive the vaccine when other member countries, about 180 of them.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that he would try to bring vaccines to Serbia even before then, that vaccines are not politics, but life, and that is why he is not thinking about whether he will have a political problem because of that.

“It is none of my business, and if we can get it from someone else, we will get it. My obligation is to deliver the vaccine to Serbia as soon as possible,” Vucic said, adding that he could not guarantee it, but that he would do everything possible before the end. of year. significant quantities of the vaccine arrive.

The provision of the amendment to the Law on Protection of the Population against Infectious Diseases caused controversy in the public, which establishes that “in the event of an epidemic of a contagious disease, the recommended or mandatory emergency vaccination for all people, that is, certain categories of people. ”.

The mandatory or recommended vaccination law is issued by the Ministry of Health.

President Vučić said that the first doses against the corona virus are intended for those for whom vaccination will be mandatory, health workers, the military and citizens who do not want to receive it, will not have to.

So, Vučić said, it would be fair for those who don’t want to be vaccinated to say that if they do get infected, they won’t be in hospital at the state’s expense for up to 50, 60 days.

Serbia has joined the COWACS (Covid 19 Vaccine Council) program, which has so far been joined by some 180 countries and regions, including China.

The World Health Organization and the GAVI Vaccine Alliance lead the COWACS program, whose objective is the equal availability of vaccines against the corona virus for all countries of the world, that is, not only the richest countries but also the poorest get vaccinations in the race.

It is planned to deliver about two billion doses of vaccines through KOVAX, which will be approved by the end of 2021.