Anastasia Levchenko - San Marino is receiving hundreds of calls and emails from Italians wishing to get a shot of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine that is available in the republic, but it can only be possible once the local vaccination campaign is completed, a representative of the Social Security Institute (ISS) of San Marino, the main public health institution of the republic, told Sputnik.
In mid-February, the Russian Direct Investment Fund announced that San Marino authorized the use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.
"The population of San Marino has responded very well to the anti-Covid vaccination. I must add that the interest in the Sputnik V vaccine has also been very strong in Italy, and not only with hundreds of calls and even emails asking for the possibility to come and be vaccinated in San Marino. But this is currently not possible. It is necessary that there is first an agreement between the states and that vaccination of the San Marino population is completed", ISS Medical Director Sergio Rabini said.
In the future, retail sale of vaccines in pharmacies can also come to the fore. However, it is too early to envisage at the moment, Rabini went on to say.
"For now, the sale of the anti-Covid vaccines has not yet been planned. These are the decisions that are up to the government. If vaccine doses are avaliable for retail sale, the Social Security Institute will endeavor to allow this possibility as well, but only once vaccination has been completed for the entire San Marino population", Rabini specified.
At the same time, San Marino is in talks with Russia on buying additional doses of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in addition to the doses that were agreed upon in February, according to the official.
"At the moment, negotiations are on to receive more doses ... to be able to proceed quickly with the vaccination campaign", ISS Medical Director Sergio Rabini said.
According to Rabini, no unusual side-effects of Sputnik V vaccine have been registered in the republic so far.
"The reported side effects are in line with those of other vaccinations. The main adverse reactions that occurred are influenza-like manifestations (approximately 15.2%) and injection site reactions (approximately 5.4%)", Rabini specified.
The Pizer-BioNTech vaccine against the coronavirus is also available in San Marino apart from Sputnik V.