Serbia to Begin Producing Chinese Vaccine Starting in October

Chinese Sinopharm's Covid-19 vaccine(BETAPHOTO/MILAN TIMOTIC/DS)

Serbian Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar said on Sept. 4 that the country would commence the production of China's coronavirus vaccine in October, adding that Serbia's Hemofarm was expected to make some six million doses by the end of the year.

Minister Loncar welcomed the first contingent of vaccine ingredients at the Nikola Tesla airport in Belgrade, saying that a cornerstone-laying ceremony for the factory that would produce the vaccine would be held on Sept. 9.

"The construction of the factory is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2022, and its output is estimated at some three million doses a month," the healthcare minister said, adding that "the trial period will end in October, after which regular production will start."

The Chinese ambassador, Chen Bo, recalled that Serbia was the first country in Europe to have used the Chinese vaccine, adding that Serbia would be the first state in Europe to produce it as well. "It's the latest success of our cooperation in fighting the pandemic," the Chinese ambassador said.