Covid-19: in Serbia, the homeless are also vaccinated
Anti-Covid vaccination: after migrants (photo of March 26 in a reception center), Serbia now also vaccinates the homeless in Belgrade.
AP - Darko Vojinovic
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
European champion of anti-Covid vaccination, Serbia has started immunizing homeless people in Belgrade.
It is the first country to do so.
The operation is being carried out with the help of the Serbian Red Cross and its network of reception centers for these underprivileged populations.
Publicity
Read more
with our correspondent in Belgrade,
Laurent Rouy
In the reception center of the Serbian Red Cross in Belgrade, the homeless come to eat, wash and dress.
They are about fifteen in line, before entering one by one, respecting the barrier gestures, reports our correspondent in Belgrade, Laurent Rouy.
Since Thursday, they can receive an anti-Covid 19 vaccine. “
Last week we conducted a survey with them
, explains Aleksandar Pantelic, secretary of the Red Cross branch.
As this is a specific population there have been a lot of questions about health and disease, among others
”.
While in Serbia it is normally necessary to register online to access the precious sesame, the homeless face an unexpected difficulty, underlines Julija Ponovic, Red Cross volunteer: “
The majority of them have no identity papers, no registration number for health services.
Many were surprised to have access to the vaccine.
They were interested.
"
A mobile medical team vaccinated the first 15 volunteers.
Ivan, 54, homeless for 8 years, hesitated a little.
Too late for today.
He will be vaccinated in a few days: “
I am very happy to be vaccinated but many are afraid.
They think they will get sick from the vaccine
”
.
But he is optimistic
.
"
I think it will give me better health!"
"
To organize a vaccination, you have to bring together at least a dozen candidates and agree on a date.
But homeless people rarely have a phone.
Also, it is difficult to predict how long it will take to immunize homeless people in Serbia.
Serbia, 7 million inhabitants, which also vaccinates refugees, allowed foreign nationals to come to its territory in early April to receive a dose.
The country, often presented as the
European champion of vaccination,
is widely endowed with vaccines
, including Chinese ones
, but while it is faced, as elsewhere, with a virulent wave due to more contagious variants, a large part of the population is declares vaccino-skeptic.
►
Read also
: in Serbia, the free vaccine attracts residents of neighboring countries
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Serbia
Health and medicine
Coronavirus