Subcommittee Chairperson Dr Dragana Barisic informed the members of the Health and Family Committee that the Subcommittee has had two sittings - the first about the strains of the coronavirus, previous experiences of European countries and the importance of getting to know the new strains, and the second about the characteristics of the vaccines available in Serbia and present experience, and proceeded to explain the two topics in detail. She said that the conclusion of both sessions was that it is necessary to motivate as many people as possible to get vaccinated, in order for life to return to normal as soon as possible.

Committee Chairman Dr Sci.med Darko Laketic said that our country has taken the pandemic more than seriously, but unfortunately in many countries in the world the virus circulates unhindered and spreads intensively among the population, which leads to an increase in the probability of the virus mutating and becoming unrecognisable for the vaccine. He said that we have a long struggle ahead of us and what is most important in it is the responsibility of the state and maximum vaccination which must contribute to the protection of the population. "It is necessary to popularise immunization, because there are environments where that information is not adequately spread. Vaccination equals life, so we will have a lot to do in the field and I must insist that we have Committee sittings in those parts of our country with poor coverage of vaccination. It is our goal to, in cooperation with local self-governments and media, reach everyone”, stressed Laketic, adding that that should be no less than 60% of the population receiving at least the first dose.

Mirsad Djerlek, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health, also addressed the members of the Committee, saying that the fact that the Brazilian strain of the Corona virus has arrived in Europe is worrying it is just a matter of time before it appears in Serbia. He pointed out that so far, 1,800,000 citizens in Serbia have received the first and 1,200,000 the second dose of the vaccine. 700 side effects, mainly local and very little general, have been recorded, which is, Djerlek stressed, to be commended, and it can assure the citizens that the vaccine is completely safe. He emphasised the importance of promoting vaccination and, as the president of the National Coordination Team for Immunisation, said that that body is doing everything to ensure that mobile teams reach rural places and the oldest citizens. Djerlek pointed out that special attention should be paid to adhering to the epidemiological measures during the celebration of Ramadan, that gatherings in places of worship could lead to a new wave of the illness and that cooperation with local self-governments is vital to prevent this risk. He emphasised that there is no room for politicisation and that people's health is the most important thing at the moment.

In the course of the sitting, the Health and Family Committee verified its representatives in the Commission for the Fight against HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis. Dr Sci.med Darko Laketic was elected Commission member and Dr Dragana Barisic deputy member.

Finally, the Committee considered the civic petitions received and referred them to the competent institutions for further action.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Dr Sci.med Darko Laketic and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Dr Vesna Ivkovic, Dragana Brankovic Mincic, Dr Emese Uri, Natasa Ivanovic, Svetlana Milijic, Nikola Radosavljevic, Dr Dragana Barisic, Rajka Matovic, Prof. Dr Goran Tasic, Dr Marko Bogdanovic, Sladjana Nikolic, Milica Nikolic and Nevena Djuric.