Serbia Expects 250,000 Doses of Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine on 19-20 January, Vucic Says

BELGRADE (Sputnik) - Serbia expects to receive 250,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus on Tuesday or Wednesday, President Aleksandar Vucic said.

"Today or tomorrow, we expect to get 250,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, including 200,000 doses for the first injection and 50,000 doses for the second shot of the vaccine. It is important that they are different in the case of the Russian vaccine", Vucic said at a session of the national vaccination agency.

Serbia is launching its mass vaccination campaign on Tuesday and 1 million doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine will used as well, the president specified.

"I will most likely receive the Chinese vaccine this weekend", Vucic said.

Vucic earlier confirmed the Serbian government's readiness to inoculate 80 percent of the nation's 7 million people with coronavirus vaccines by different producers.

According to a state secretary from Serbia's Health Ministry, 40 percent of citizens applying for vaccination online or via call centres opt for Sputnik V, while 28 percent prefer the Pfizer vaccine, and others are ready to receive any vaccine.

Serbia started vaccinating its citizens against COVID-19 on 24 December with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, who was the first Serbian to get vaccinated, said that Belgrade had reached agreements for a total of 8 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, sufficient for 4 million people.

Russia delivered the first batch of the Sputnik V vaccine to Serbia on 30 December. It consisted of 2,400 doses. The vaccine is awaiting permanent authorisation in the Balkan country.