- Title: Serbia gets first batch of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
- Date: 22nd December 2020
- Summary: BELGRADE, SERBIA (DECEMBER 22, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VAN WITH BOX OF VACCINES ARRIVING MEN STANDING BY VAN MEDICAL STAFF APPROACHING VAN / DRIVER OPENING VAN VARIOUS OF MEDICAL STAFF CARRYING BOX WITH VACCINES (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) STATE SECRETARY IN SERBIAN HEALTH MINISTRY, MIRSAD DJERLEK, SAYING: "Within a day we will precisely know who will be the first ones to get these vaccines, considering that today we have received 4,875 doses. In any case, it is important that the vaccine arrived in Serbia, and it is important that the immunization, most probably, will start next week, which is indeed a huge, huge success for our country." DJERLEK SPEAKING DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) STATE SECRETARY IN SERBIAN HEALTH MINISTRY, MIRSAD DJERLEK, SAYING: "What the ALIMS (Agency for Medications and Medical Devices of Serbia) representatives said today at the Coordination Team session, is that in January we can expect some 20-21 thousand vaccines from Pfizer because the import licence has been granted for 24,000 vaccines. This is what is certain for the time being. What the prime minister and the president said - that there are intensive ongoing talks with Russians regarding 'Sputnik V' and with the Chinese - you will, in any case, be timely informed about all details regarding vaccination against COVID-19." MEDICAL STAFF EXAMINING AND TURNING BOX WITH VACCINES BOX WITH VACCINES
- Embargoed: 5th January 2021 13:09
- Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine Pfizer vaccines Serbian health ministry coronavirus in Serbia inoculation in Serbia
- Location: BELGRADE, SERBIA
- City: BELGRADE, SERBIA
- Country: Serbia
- Topics: Europe,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001DA39N3T
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Nearly 5,000 doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccines were flown on Tuesday (December 22) to Serbia, the first country in the Balkans to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
State TV footage showed an airplane unloading containers with 4,875 doses of vaccines. The vaccines were later taken to the Institute of Virology, Vaccines, and Sera, known as the "Torlak," in Belgrade.
Speaking to media in front of "Torlak" Institute, state secretary in the health ministry, Mirsad Djerlek said the immunization would most probably start next week.
Last week the Serbian state regulator approved the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine.
Djerlek said that authorities were also in negotiations to import Russia's Sputnik V vaccine and a Chinese vaccine, but he did not give more details.
The government did not disclose the agreed price for the Pfizer vaccine.
Serbia on Monday reported 3,685 coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours and 47 deaths. Since the start of the pandemic around 300,000 people in the country, including more than 3,000 nurses and doctors, have become infected, and 2,733 have died. Hospitals are running at full capacity.
(Production: Branko Filipovic, Fedja Grulovic, Malgorzata Wojtunik) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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