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Coronavirus pandemic

Serbia receives new batch of Russian Sputnik V vaccine — Serbian minister

Nenad Popovic recalled that the Russian vaccine’s efficacy exceeds 97% and noted that it is the best option for a booster vaccine, regardless of the previous two

BELGRADE, October 17. /TASS/. Another batch of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine has reached Serbia, Nenad Popovic, Serbian minister without portfolio in charge of innovations and technological development and head of the intergovernmental committee for cooperation with Russia, said on Sunday.

"Some 250,000 more Sputnik V doses - 100,000 doses of the first component and 150,000 doses of thee second component - arrived in Serbia at night. The vaccines were supplied from the Generium factory in the Vladimir region," his press service quoted him as saying.

Popovic recalled that the Russian vaccine’s efficacy exceeds 97% and noted that it is the best option for a booster vaccine, regardless of the previous two.

On February 3, Russian and Serbian Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Aleksandar Vucic, discussed over the phone possible production of Sputnik V in Serbia. After the conversation, the Serbian leader said that with the assistance of Russian specialists his country would build production facilities and would manufacture the vaccine.

On June 4, Putin and Vucic gave the start to Sputnik V production in Belgrade. Currently, Serbia is packaging the Russian vaccine and plans to kick off full-cycle production before the yearend.

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