A total of 25,000 doses of the first component of the Russian Sputnik V vaccines arrived in Banja Luka Monday, intended for the vaccination of the population against coronavirus in the territory of Bosnia's Republika Srpska (RS) entity, Anadolu Agency reported.

Alen Seranic, the RS Minister of Health and Social Welfare, who welcomed the contingent of vaccines, said that some 1,300-second doses of Russian vaccines are expected to arrive by the end of the week to make up for the loss from Prijedor, where vaccines were destroyed earlier this month due to a break in the cold chain at the local Health Center caused by a power failure.

Speaking about the next quantities of vaccines they expect to arrive, Seranic said that out of 50,000 doses of Chinese Sinopharm vaccines that arrive in Bosnia, some 18,000 doses will belong to the RS.

“Vaccines from the European Commission’s EU4Health project are expected in May, and this donation will be realized via a trilateral agreement between BiH, the Republic of Austria and the EU, meaning some 16,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines belong to the RS,” he said, adding that around 32,000 doses are expected from the COVAX mechanism for the RS as well.

All of these vaccines will be made available after the Drug Agency performs quality control.