When Russian regulators approved the coronavirus vaccine, it was a moment of national pride, and the Pavlov family was among those who rushed to get vaccinated. But international health authorities have yet to give their blessing to the Sputnik V vaccine.
So when the family from Rostov-on-Don wanted to visit the West, they looked for a vaccine that would allow them to travel freely — a search that brought them to Serbia, where hundreds of Russian citizens have flocked in recent weeks to receive Western approved vaccines.
Serbia, which is not a member of the European Union, is a convenient choice for Russians seeking vaccines because they can enter the Balkan country visa-free and because it offers a wide choice of Western-made doses. Organized tours for Russians have increased and they can be seen in the capital, Belgrade, in hotels, restaurants, bars and vaccination clinics, AP reports.
"We got the Pfizer vaccine because we want to travel the world," said Nadezhda Pavlova, 54, after receiving the vaccine last weekend at a sprawling vaccination center in Belgrade.
Her husband, Vitaly Pavlov, 55, said he wanted "the whole world to be open to us and not just some countries".
also
WHO suspends the approval process of the Russian vaccine
Hailed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the world's first registered vaccine against COVID-19, Sputnik V appeared in August 2020 and has been approved in around 70 countries, including Serbia. But the WHO has said global approval is still under review after citing issues at a manufacturing plant several months ago.
The long wait has frustrated many Russians, so when the WHO announced another delay in September, they began looking elsewhere for solutions.
