Exclusive photos: Vaccines arrive in Torlak, another 21,000 doses in January, immunization next week

Pfizer vaccines against coronavirus, which arrived in Serbia this morning, were transported around noon to the Institute for Virology, Vaccines and Serums Torlak in Belgrade.

A plane with vaccines landed at the Belgrade airport this morning, carrying 4,800 doses.

State Secretary Mirsad Djerlek said after the vaccines arrived at Torlak that the immunization will most likely start next week, when the Agency for Drugs and Medical Devices is expected to give permission for use.

"Today is a great day for Serbia in the fight against Covid 19. As you can see, the state is making every effort to fulfill what it promised. The president promised that the first quantities would arrive by the end of the year, and the promise was fulfilled. The Minister of Health said that they would arrive on Tuesday, today is Tuesday," said Djerlek.

He added that the first meeting of the National Coordination Team for Immunization was held today, and the plan is to prepare an operational plan for immunization, which will be done this year.

"Serbia is not small if we received such an important vaccine. We have shown that we have improved our status at the European level, which means that there is high probability that we will receive as many vaccines against Covid 19 in the next period as necessary to create collective immunity," said Djerlek.

He explained that they respected the cold chain meaning that the vaccine was placed in refrigerators at minus 80 degrees.

He added that during the day, it will be known who will be the first to receive the vaccine.

"We received 4,875 doses today. It's important that the vaccine arrived in Serbia, and that immunization will begin next week. Another 21,000 doses are expected in January. Pfizer vaccines, because an import permit was given for 24,000. That's for sure for now. And what the prime minister and the president said is that there are negotiations with the Russians and the Chinese," said Djerlek.

Four days ago, the Agency for Drugs and Medical Devices of Serbia gave its consent for the import of the Pfizer vaccines.

As Professor Dr. Branislav Tiodorovic explained, everyone who is vaccinated against coronavirus should receive two doses at an interval of 21 days.

"They usually say that after the first dose, there is about 60 percent protection, and only when the second dose is received, the protection is more than 90 percent. But even after that second dose, 7 to 10 days must pass, it all depends on the body. Some will develop antibodies sooner, some later," said Tiodorovic.

As had been said earlier, the first doses are intended for users in nursing homes, and Serbia is the first country in the region to receive the vaccine manufactured by Pfizer and Bionteck.

This vaccine must be stored and transported at about minus 70 degrees, and it is transported containers with dry ice.

(Telegraf.rs)