One-third of the deputies in parliament (51) want to be vaccinated against Covid-19, the parliament said on Thursday after the deadline for parliamentarians to register for vaccination expired.

MPs will be vaccinated on Monday ahead of the regular spring sitting.

Based on reports parliament has at hand, 36 of the 151 MPs have already contracted and recovered from Covid-19 while 25 spent time in self-isolation because they had been in contact with an infected person.

If the number of MPs who have recovered from Covid-19 and the number of those who wish to be vaccinated are taken into account, about half of the lawmakers will be protected against the virus.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the parliamentary leadership, Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic announced organised, voluntary vaccination of MPs against Covid-19.

Asked if it was fair for MPs to be vaccinated before some other people, he said that there were two reasons why they should be vaccinated.

“It is important that as political figures we send the message that people should get vaccinated, that the vaccine is important and that it can help in the fight against Covid-19,” he said and underscored that the first lawmakers to be vaccinated would be those who had not contracted the virus and those who were in risky groups.

Jandrokovic also underlined the role of the Sabor as the body that passes laws that are the basis for the activities of the government and state institutions, rejecting claims that lawmakers were privileged.

He added that he personally would not be vaccinated as he had recovered from Covid-19 and that he would wait six months and get vaccinated in early April.