Serbia has announced that it will begin rolling out a Covid booster shot scheme to all members of its population this week, as long as it has been six months post their second dose, while high-risk people are the main priority.
The health authorities approved the move to offer citizens a third Covid vaccine on Sunday, and the program will commence on August 17 with the immunocompromised, who are at greater risk from the coronavirus.
Serbs suffering health problems that put them at higher risk to severely reacting to Covid symptoms, as well as people who have undergone organ transplants or chemotherapy, are advised to opt for a third shot. Healthcare workers, and members of the population over the age of 70, are also deemed eligible.
In an interview with Serbia’s RTS broadcaster, Darija Kisic Tepavcevic, of the country’s Covid-19 crisis team, clarified that “Nothing is obligatory. These are recommendations primarily for those who are most endangered due to the diseases they have or due to the nature of their job.” However, Kisic Tepavcevic added that every citizen was able to come forward for a Covid vaccine top-up as long as six months had passed since their second dose.
The move comes as countries around the globe are considering adding a third dose to their inoculation regimen. “Right now, we are looking for that optimal dose when it comes to Covid. This virus has not left us, and the need for this dose … is simply aimed at strengthening … and extending the duration of this post-vaccination immunity,” the Covid-19 crisis team member explained.
Serbia is not the only Balkan country to offer a booster shot to its citizens. Neighboring Hungary began rolling out a third vaccine on August 1 to citizens who had received their second dose over four months prior.
Approved for usage in the country’s vaccine arsenal are jabs by Pfizer/BioNTech, China’s Sinopharm, Russia’s Sputnik V and Oxford/AstraZeneca. Serbia has administered more than 2.8 million first doses of a coronavirus vaccine, while the tally for second shots currently stands at 2.7 million.
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