Acting Director of the Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera “Torlak”, Darija Kisić, announced that on Sunday, October 6, all citizens who report for preventive examinations will be the first to have the opportunity to receive the domestic vaccine against seasonal flu produced by “Torlak” Institute, while everyone else will be able to do so as of Monday, October 7.
Kisić stated that the vaccine is free and available at all points throughout Serbia and called on all citizens to respond to the vaccination.
“The priority group includes those people who have a higher risk of developing complications, if an infection occurs, because, unfortunately, various complications can occur, and even not so rarely, fatal outcomes. These are primarily people who have chronic diseases, chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, kidney, then various metabolic diseases, including diabetes, neurological diseases and various other immunodeficiency conditions,” Kisić said.
Kisić added that this group also includes pregnant women, as well as people over 65 years old.
“According to epidemiological indications, this vaccine should be given to those who work or live in social care institutions, as well as those who are employed in institutions for the elderly. It is important to vaccinate those people who live with a family member who has some of the diseases , which can lead to the flu virus being fatal for them. In this way, they protect not only themselves, but also their loved ones, their environment,” Kisić emphasized.
Kisić explained that “Torlak” Institute manufactured for this season a vaccine with an identical composition, as the one recommended by the World Health Organization.
“Our vaccine consists of three strains of the flu virus. It is a highly effective, safe and high-quality vaccine. We know that the flu virus is a significant cause of illness and death around the world every year, especially in the winter. So it is important to protect yourself from this virus and that’s why this vaccine is practically recommended to almost everyone,” Kisić said.
Kisić added that the very fact that “Torlak” produced this seasonal flu vaccine is another significant indicator of the national concern for the health protection of the citizens of Serbia.
“It is also important to note that this is the most optimal period for vaccination, the first half of October, because it takes two to three weeks to create a sufficient amount of protective antibodies. For this, I invite all citizens of Serbia, especially those who are in one of the risk groups , to get vaccinated,” emphasized Kisić.
So far, she said, the institute has produced 70,000 doses of vaccines.
“Our Institute is ready to produce additional quantities, if there is interest, and we believe that they will, because the citizens of Serbia have shown how responsible they are and how much they care about their health,” Kisić said.
Kisić stated that the extent to which citizens care about their health is also shown by their great interest in preventive examinations.
“One of the most important ways to prevent respiratory infections is vaccination. So I call on them once again to show how responsible they are towards themselves and their health,” Kisić said.
