Vaccination against coronavirus in Serbia commences tomorrow

Vaccination against coronavirus in Serbia commences tomorrow

"We procured these vaccines bilaterally, independently. We are probably the only country outside the EU in this part of Europe that managed to procure them. There will be more in February and March. Samples of other vaccines were sent for research," Vucic said.

He emphasized that it is very important for vaccination to start in order to protect as many people as possible.

"We are starting immediately. Medicines and Medical Devices Agency of Serbia (ALIMS) has received samples of other vaccines, they will continue to do their job, and then we expect larger quantities. The vaccine means salvation, the vaccine saved humanity, if it there weren't for the vaccine, some other diseases would not be eradicated," Vučić said.

It is important, he repeats, to protect a larger number of people with vaccination. "Tomorrow it will start in nursing homes, because it is important to protect these people. When you look at all the numbers and percentages, there are younger people who have waited a long time, especially men, but by far the largest number are those over 80, they are the most endangered and that is why we should start with them", Vucic concluded. He said that someone of the top state officials will also be vaccinated, as a signal that the vaccine is necessary and good.

"Whether it's me, Ana Brnabic or Darija Kisic Tepavcevic, we'll see," he said, adding that this would prove that the vaccine is good.

He said that Serbia is the first from the region that does not belong to the EU, and which paid over four million euros for the COVAX program.

"We expect to get a significant part of vaccines through that program and through the EU, but we also manage and fight on our own. If everything goes well, I hope that in mid-January we will start mass vaccination, to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of people. If we manage to vaccinate a million people by the end of January, that is a great success", Vučić emphasized.

Asked if he expects the EU to change its decision and start distributing vaccines before May, Vucic said he had confidence in the EU Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi that significant quantities of the vaccine would be distributed and that it would not wait months after EU countries received the vaccine. "But, we are chosen and obliged to lead our country, Serbia, and it is our obligation to make sure that we find the vaccine and take care of the people and citizens," said Vucic.

He pointed out that the state will successfully perform that task, as, as he stated, respirators were successfully procured, when there were not enough of them anywhere in the world.

He also reminded that there is no shortage of goods in stores and on the market in Serbia, and that this hadn't happened during the global coronavirus pandemic.