20,000 doses of Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine arrive in Bosnian Serb entity

NEWS 01.03.202117:46 0 komentara
Sputnjik V, cjepivo, koronavirus
STR / AFP

A shipment of 20,000 doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine arrived in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday.

The shipment was welcomed in Banja Luka by entity government officials, with a live television broadcast.

“The vaccine is intended for health workers and aged care homes,” Republika Srpska (RS) Health Minister, Alen Seranic, said, announcing the start of mass vaccination. He added that the primary goal was to protect people aged 65 years and older.

Seranic said that talks were under way with the Russian manufacturer on additional deliveries, which could follow as of next week.

The RS authorities directly negotiated with the Russian vaccine manufacturer following delays in the delivery of vaccine ordered from Western manufacturers via the COVAX mechanism.

RS Premier Radovan Viskovic said that the RS had ordered 400,000 doses of vaccine from the Russians. “I am no longer interested in the COVAX mechanism. If they deliver what we ordered, good, if not, we will find other ways,” Viskovic said, adding that he personally had chosen to get vaccinated with a Russian or a Chinese vaccine rather than with a Western one.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has ordered 1.23 million doses of vaccine via COVAX but has not received any yet.

Minister Seranic said that state officials would hold additional talks on Tuesday with representatives of Pfizer, which seeks clarifications of how Bosnia and Herzegovina intends to ensure quality control and storage of its vaccine. “This will create conditions for us to receive initial deliveries of vaccine via COVAX in March,” he said.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is administratively divided into two entities – the Serb entity called Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat entity known as the Federation – each of which runs its own health policy.

The Federation entity authorities have tightened restrictions following an increase in the daily number of new coronavirus cases, making wearing of face masks mandatory outdoors and banning live music in hospitality establishments, while the RS authorities on Monday lifted these two restrictions.

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