Serbia will begin production of the Russian-designed coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V on 20 May, according to a deal signed by the two countries on Thursday.
The deal, signed by Russian Trade Minister Denis Manturov and Nenad Popovic, a Serbian minister without portfolio, would make Serbia the second country after Russia to manufacture the vaccine, said Popovic in comments on state broadcaster RTS.
The Torlak Institute would get the Serbian licence to produce the vaccine. The institute specializes in vaccines and virus research. A first production cycle could lead to the production of 4 million doses.
Serbia has been using Sputnik V since the start of the year, though it has also been administering vaccines created by Western companies, as well as the China-manufactured vaccine Sinopharm.
Serbia has vaccinated 1.8 million people so far, making it second only to Britain in Europe, in terms of vaccinations. So far, 666,000 people have also received a second dose of vaccine.
In review by EMA
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is still reviewing Sputnik V to determine whether it will be approved for use within the EU.
Sputnik V got off to a rocky start when introduced last year. Because it was released before verifications were completed, there was scepticism against it in the West. However, it has performed well in tests to date and has already been purchased by some EU nations, despite the fact that EMA approval has not been given.
