The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the Serbian government have agreed to supply 2 million doses of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to the country, according to the vaccine's Twitter account.
"RDIF and the Serbian government announce an agreement to supply 2 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine, the world's first registered vaccine against coronavirus, to the country. Vaccination of the population against coronavirus with Sputnik V began in Serbia today," the statement said.
BREAKING: RDIF and the government of Serbia announce the agreement to supply 2 million doses of Sputnik V to the country. Vaccination against COVID-19 with Sputnik V started in Serbia today. The agreement will enable the vaccination of 1 million people.https://t.co/V2mi64Ocgn
— Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) January 6, 2021
An agreement between RDIF and the Serbian government will ensure the vaccination of 1 million people (the vaccine consists of two doses). "Sputnik V supplies will allow Serbia to diversify its portfolio of vaccines against coronavirus. The vaccine for supplies to Serbia will be produced by RDIF's international partners in India, China, South Korea and other countries," the developers noted.
"Russia and Serbia have a long-standing partnership, and we support the government's decision to use the Sputnik V vaccine to fight the coronavirus. The vaccine is based on a well-studied platform of human adenovirus vectors with proven safety," said Kirill Dmitriev, head of the foundation.
Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandr Vulin and Parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic were vaccinated against coronavirus with the Russian vaccine on Wednesday; according to Dacic, government members are choosing different vaccines to support vaccination.
The Sputnik V was the first COVID-19 vaccine registered in Russia and the world. Russia's Sputnik V is 92 percent effective, based on data from the first 16,000 trial participants who have received both shots of the two-dose vaccine.
