Epidemiologist: Vaccination Is Only Realistic Way Out of the Epidemic

Dr Predrag Kon (BETAPHOTO/Serbian Government/Slobodan Miljevic)

Epidemiologist Predrag Kon on Feb. 8 said that the number of new COVID-19 cases had been gradually moving away from its peak, noting it would be realistic to expect that by the end of the year, the virus would not be such a threat as was now.    

Kon told TV Prva that it would however, not be not realistic to believe that “we will not be facing at all,” stressing that vaccination was the only realistic way out of the epidemic. “In Serbia, it has been said that mandatory vaccination for all is at odds with the Constitution. In some ways, this issue has remained unclarified,” Kon noted. He also said that the fourth vaccine dose would be recommended only to “a limited group” of citizens.

Asked to comment on the Australian authorities’ treatment of world’s top tennis player Novak Djokovic, who was deported from Australia after his visa had been revoked on grounds that he, as an unvaccinated person, could pose a health risk, Kon replied that the fact that Djokovic had not been allowed to stay in the country “is not really in the spirit of international health regulations.”

“As regards vaccination, I stick to my opinion. My position is clear and I respect Djokovic’s. I cannot understand how he could have posed a health risk. It is clear to me what happened, and what happened, in my opinion, is not acceptable,” Kon specified.