The Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) still has no answer when it will analyze of the Russian vaccine “Sputnik V”, whose first doses arrived at the Sarajevo airport through the intervention import for Republika Srpska (RS). It is found out that they haven’t even received the request yet. The plan and time of the start of vaccination also depend on these approval procedures.
The first doses of the Russian vaccine “Sputnik V” that arrived in BiH represent the basis for the analysis and control of the series and will be in quarantine until they receive the necessary approval. The time of the beginning of vaccination also depends on the approval procedures. The Institute of Public Health of RS expects that the process of analysis, for which the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of BiH is responsible, should be completed in about 15 days.
“In the same time, intervention import will be implemented, when the public procurement procedure is completed. It is, so to speak, a step that has been taken in order to quicken the process of controlling the series and to get the vaccine ready as soon as possible, ” said Branislav Zeljkovic, director of the Institute of Public Health of RS.
Priority in vaccination will be given to health workers in Covid departments. RS announced that they expect 200.000 doses of Russian vaccines in the second half of February and the same number of them in the first half of March. The quantities are sufficient for 200.000 residents.
“What is common in this practice is that a smaller contingent of vaccines is always sent in the first quantity because we have to go through certain procedures when it comes to importing the vaccine into a country. Here, it specifically means that it is necessary to do quality control of the series itself “, emphasized the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of RS, Alen Seranic.
The Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices did not officially agree to our inquiries. There is unofficiall information that they have not yet received the request and all the necessary documentation to start the analysis, but that they are ready to start the examination as soon as it is requested.
The Federal Ministry of Health stated that they follow the agreed principle from the recent meeting of prime ministers and line ministers, based on which the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed the expressed needs for direct procurement of vaccines. They are still waiting for the manufacturer’s answers.
