In Serbia, more than 1 million people, or over 13% of the country’s population, have now been vaccinated against the virus responsible for COVID-19. This early success provides a strong foundation for the broader population-wide campaign yet to come.
WHO has been working with countries in the European Region to strengthen their capacity to roll out mass COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. This includes putting in place legal, data management and logistics frameworks for vaccine deployment, as well as enhancing cold chain and communications capacities. Training and supporting medical workers to deliver the new vaccines and engaging the public on acceptance and uptake are also vital.
In Serbia, WHO provided the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group with support in developing vaccination planning and its implementation. In addition, WHO recommendations were integrated into the national vaccination plan.
Vaccinating frontline workers
WHO calls for vaccination of health workers and other vulnerable groups to start in all countries globally within the first 100 days of this year. The vaccination of health workers in Serbia began in December 2020 for staff working in COVID-19 hospitals and infirmaries in primary health care centres.
Dr Raspopovic, a frontline worker at the Zemun Clinical Center, Belgrade, has been treating COVID-19 patients since March 2020, and he was one of the first health workers to get a vaccine. He emphasized that receiving it was his “duty” as a health-care worker: “Getting the vaccine was my duty towards my patients, but also towards my colleagues and my family. In doing this I am protecting them and myself. I hope that by receiving it, I will send a message to others that it is the only way to stop the pandemic”.
Ensuring easy access
To reach as many people as possible in the initial target populations, vaccination has been available not only in health-care facilities but also in event venues in Belgrade and other large cities. Senior citizens and people with disabilities are being reached with mobile units. An electronic system records and tracks data along the entire vaccination process: from expressions of willingness to be vaccinated to issuance of certificates following vaccination. For those with no access to the internet, a COVID-19 information telephone line has been established, where patients can get all relevant information and guidance related to COVID-19.
Increasing acceptance and uptake
Providing easy access to vaccination is not enough to achieve a high uptake if people do not agree to being vaccinated. Recognizing the important role that targeted communication plays in building trust, WHO has supported Serbia in collecting data on public perceptions and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination. Two rounds of the WHO behavioural insights survey on COVID-19 were conducted, in December 2020 and February 2021. The survey results indicate that vaccine acceptance has increased by 9% since December 2020.
Data collected through the behavioural insights survey have contributed to tailoring a COVID-19 vaccination communications strategy and action plan to address people’s needs and concerns. To develop the strategy, Serbian national authorities joined forces with 3 United Nations agencies – WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Targeted communication is critical to ensure that the public’s concerns are addressed, that vaccination hesitancy is reduced, and vaccine demand managed so that a sufficient number of people get vaccinated. This will contribute to curbing COVID-19 in the country and lessening its burden on the health system and society as a whole.
The government has started implementing the risk communication and community engagement campaign, focusing on the higher rate of hesitancy among specific population groups and possible barriers to vaccination. The WHO Country Office in Serbia will continue to assist national partners in all aspects of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in the country.