The Republic of San Marino has received more than 100 applications from abroad for the Sputnik V vaccine as part of a campaign for foreign tourists that began on Monday, the State Secretariat for Health and Social Affairs told RIA Novosti.
From May 17, those wishing to be vaccinated against coronavirus infection can receive the vaccine on the territory of this small state on the Apennine Peninsula. The foreigner must book a room in one of the hotels and spend at least a total of six days on Mount Titano: two periods of three days, sufficient to monitor the vaccination, with a break of 21 to 28 days. Apart from the hotel, two shots of the vaccine will cost 50 euros.
“Yesterday, 100 applications were received, another 20 – this morning, they are to be processed. We have already carried out the first five first vaccinations for tourists from Latvia. They have booked places in advance”, – said the representative of the department.
According to him, many applications are received for foreigners living in Italy – they are offered vaccination with “Sputnik”, the Russian drug was used in almost 90% of cases of vaccinations for citizens of San Marino. At the same time, the Italians themselves in a small republic cannot be accepted due to the lack of an agreement on the recognition of vaccination in San Marino.
Residents of Sanmarine abroad can choose between a Russian vaccine and a Pfizer drug. “Foreigners decide that it is easier for them to go to San Marino than to return to their countries. Most of them are from Europe: Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland. Today, calls were received from China, the Philippines and Dubai,” the agency’s source said.
He added that tourism for the purpose of obtaining the vaccine is carried out through more than 20 accredited hotel structures, the schedule of which allows to monitor the vaccination of visitors. After receiving the application, the hotels forward it to the reservation service at the public hospital.
Earlier, RIA Novosti was informed at the Institute of Social Security (ISS) of San Marino that a certain “surplus” of Sputnik doses had formed in the republic, which allows local authorities to start organizing vaccinations for foreigners. According to the latest data, more than 38 thousand injections were carried out in the republic – and the first dose of the drug was received by 21.8 thousand people, which is about three quarters of the population of San Marino. The vaccination campaign in the enclave state is scheduled to end on May 31.