If vaccination in Serbia is not stepped up, the country could face a new lockdown and reintroduction of mandatory quarantines, said epidemiologist Predrag Kon, a member of the COVID-19 response team in Serbia.

State Secretary in the country’s Health Ministry, Mirsad Djerlek, also warned earlier that the COVID-19 pandemic could reach a ‘concerning level’ in August unless the immunisation rate is increased.

“August will be crucial,” he said, speaking to the national broadcaster RTS. “We will try to increase the vaccination rate over the next month.”

According to Djerlek, there is an increase in the numbers of previously unvaccinated people who got infected while holidaying in high-risk countries.

Four different vaccines are available in Serbia, which was globally praised for organising vaccination. However, the people of Serbia have so far not responded well to the authorities’ efforts due to widespread conspiracy theories and aggressive campaigning by anti-vaxxers.

One of the reasons for a poor public response is that a percentage of the medical staff in Serbia refuses to get the shot, which made the authorities consider introducing mandatory vaccination for medical workers and other professionals who are in regular contact with many people.

Those working in healthcare are legally bound to get vaccinated against all contagious diseases, including COVID-19, said Kon.