- Title: Serbian city sees low COVID-19 vaccination rates amid scepticism
- Date: 16th March 2021
- Summary: NOVI PAZAR, SERBIA (MARCH 15, 2021) (REUTERS) MEDICAL STAFF IN PROTECTIVE SUITS IN COVID UNIT OF GENERAL HOSPITAL DOCTORS STANDING IN WARD VARIOUS OF PATIENTS LYING IN BEDS MONITOR BY BED VARIOUS OF MEDICAL STAFF FILLING AND HANGING DRIP MEDICAL STAFF HELPING PATIENT TO DRINK MEDICAL STAFF LEAVING WARD (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) DIRECTOR OF GENERAL HOSPITAL IN NOVI PAZAR, MEHO MAHMUTOVIC, SAYING: "As of today, we have 167 patients, of which 10 in the respirator centre, while the rest are (distributed) across departments. All the hospitalised patients are medium-severe to severe patients with unilateral or bilateral pneumonia, and practically they all use oxygen." VARIOUS OF MEDICAL STAFF ATTENDING TO PATIENT IN BED PATIENT'S HAND MEDICAL STAFF IN BACKGROUND, SCREEN OF MEDICAL MONITOR (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian), DIRECTOR OF GENERAL HOSPITAL IN NOVI PAZAR, MEHO MAHMUTOVIC, SAYING: "We get numerous calls from our friends from other countries in the region who do not have vaccines - they beg to come to Serbia in any way to get vaccinated, and here where they are available - there is some kind of a campaign (against vaccination)." VARIOUS OF EMPTY SPORTS HALL TURNED INTO REGISTRATION AND VACCINATION SITE SIGN READING (Serbian): "PATIENT REGISTRATION" MEDICAL TECHNICIAN WALKING, TALKING OVER PHONE VACCINE VIAL ON TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) DIRECTOR OF HEALTH PROTECTION INSTITUTE, SEFADIL SPAHIC, SAYING: "Unfortunately, even some people from our profession, health workers, say negative things regarding vaccines. Now, why this anti-vaccination lobby is in this region, and it has developed in the entire world and in our state as well… It would be good if psychiatrists could figure out why fertile soil (for those theories to develop) is found here, in Novi Pazar." TWO YOUNG WOMEN WALKING IN STREET OF NOVI PAZAR VARIOUS OF MOSQUE AND MINARET DURING PRAYER VARIOUS OF LOCAL ISLAMIC SCHOLAR, MUHAMED DEMIROVIC (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) LOCAL ISLAMIC SCHOLAR, MUHAMED DEMIROVIC, SAYING: "We, as the Islamic community, at this current stage and considering the scientific information about the vaccines available to us, and based on the fundamental and side sources of sharia law, and the principles that serve as a basis for establishing and determining certain regulations grounded in our religion, we are not in a position to issue a final solution or invite people to mandatory vaccination or to say that it is not permitted." BOARD WITH TEXT READING (Serbian): "REGISTRATION FOR VACCINATION" VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN STREETS OF NOVI PAZAR (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) RESIDENT, VELIDA COLAKOVIC, SAYING: "Fear and ignorance. We are not sufficiently educated in that regard and so we avoid vaccination and not only vaccines but other things as well. So, if people were a bit more educated and of course if they knew a bit more about it, they would get vaccinated." (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) RESIDENT, VEISA METIC, SAYING: "Maybe they're afraid - someone dies in Europe (after being vaccinated) and they stopped (the vaccination), what do I know... There is probably some of that, too, I have no idea, believe me." (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) RESIDENT, FERIZ VRAGIC, SAYING: "People are so afraid. Unbelievable, I don't know the reason. I don't know the reason. Either they are not sufficiently informed on what vaccines are. I don't know what it is, but people are really scared." VARIOUS OF MOSQUE AND TOWN OF NOVI PAZAR
- Embargoed: 30th March 2021 14:40
- Keywords: AstraZeneca vaccine coronavirus in Serbia coronavirus pandemic rise in cases vaccination programme
- Location: NOVI PAZAR, SERBIA
- City: NOVI PAZAR, SERBIA
- Country: Serbia
- Topics: Europe,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001E4C2KHL
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: In Serbia's southern city of Novi Pazar, just 6% of its population of around 100,000 have received a COVID-19 vaccine - far below the national average, with conflicting online messages driving high levels of scepticism, local health officials said.
The low takeup comes as the country is struggling to contain a spike in COVID-19 infections that forced the government on Tuesday (March 16) to order a five-day shutdown of restaurants, cafes and clubs.
Nationally, more than 1.65 million people have received at least one COVID-19 shot out of a population of around 7 million.
But in Novi Pazar, online forums and rumours questioning the safety and efficacy of vaccinations have undermined the campaign, said Sefadil Spahic, head of the regional public health centre.
Authorities in Serbia, where 4,747 people have died from COVID-19 and 520,911 have fallen ill so far, want to speed up vaccinations and slow daily infections, which stand at around 4,000.
Novi Pazar was hit hard by the pandemic last year, and cases there have accelerated again in recent months.
Eighty-two per cent of the city's population are Muslim. Muhamed Demirovic, an imam, said that some Islamic scholars were reluctant to promote vaccinations.
In neighbouring Bosnia, where the pandemic has claimed a record number of lives in recent weeks, the government is under pressure from the public to launch a mass inoculation program. So far the campaign has been limited by a lack of vaccines.
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