Serbia health centers out of flu vaccine, Torlak seeks plan
Health centers currently have no flu vaccine, and Torlak has asked for a distribution plan for 50,013 new doses. Here is what is known about delivery deadlines.
You try to book a flu shot, and the health center tells you there is none? It is not you. Health centers in Serbia currently have no seasonal flu vaccine, and medical staff do not yet know when new doses will arrive, the daily Danas reports.
Patients are nonetheless advised to call in mid-November and ask whether the vaccine has come in.
Why is the vaccine missing when the season has only just begun?
Vaccination began this year on October 14. Doctors who spoke to Danas say they received fewer doses than in previous years and used them up right away. One health center doctor, who asked to remain anonymous, told Danas:
“We have no vaccine. We don’t know when there will be more. We’re waiting for a new batch to arrive. The problem is distribution.”
The most talked-about case is the Vozdovac Health Center in Belgrade. A Danas reader told the paper that appointments there are being canceled, and it is unofficially understood that the vaccine has been missing for ten days. The center’s management said that questions about procurement and delivery schedules should go to the responsible institutions, since it is not in charge of them.
According to Newsmax Balkans, the Vracar Health Center has used up all of its Torvax Flu doses for adults and its Vaxigrip doses for children. The same outlet reports that pharmacies are struggling too. Pharmacist Danijela Sretenovic explained where the imported vaccines come from on the show “Open Your Eyes”:
“We distributed the imported vaccines, which this year are Sanofi and Vaxigrip.”
Most of the imported doses go to health centers, so pharmacies receive small quantities.
How many doses have been distributed and given?
The Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut” gave Danas figures up to October 30:
- of the Tor Vax Flu vaccine (for people aged 18 and over), 133,229 doses were distributed and 125,070 given, or 93.9 percent
- of the Vaxigrip vaccine (from six months to 18 years), 5,480 doses were distributed and 2,627 given, or 47.9 percent
- about 128,000 people have been vaccinated in total
For the 2026/2027 season, 315,000 doses were planned and contracted: 288,000 of the trivalent Tor Vax Flu vaccine made by Torlak and 27,000 of the trivalent Vaxigrip vaccine made by Sanofi Pasteur. By October 30, then, 133,229 of the 288,000 Tor Vax Flu doses had been distributed.
When will new doses arrive?
According to Batut, the Torlak Institute has asked the Institute of Public Health of Serbia for a distribution plan for 50,013 doses of Tor Vax Flu that are ready to ship. Distribution of 20,000 Vaxigrip doses is also expected. Batut says further contracted deliveries from suppliers are set for November 15 and November 30.
The sources differ on one detail. Newsmax Balkans earlier wrote only about a delivery expected by November 15, while Danas, citing Batut, gives both deadlines. Torlak had not answered Danas’s questions by the time of publication.
Why is the vaccine still worth waiting for?
Vaccination is carried out ahead of flu season and is recommended for people with chronic illnesses, those over 65, pregnant women and other groups at higher risk of serious complications. Batut says on its website that the vaccine is “the most effective and safest form of individual and collective protection against influenza.”
Timing is a reason for caution as well. Immunity builds two to three weeks after vaccination and lasts six to twelve months, so a late delivery means protection arrives later.
The virus is not surging for now. From October 19 to 25, 7,336 influenza-like illnesses and 13,831 acute respiratory infections were reported, and three flu cases were confirmed in laboratories. Batut assesses virus activity as still at baseline, below the epidemic threshold, but says the number of new cases is rising compared with the previous week.
What can you do right now?
- Call your health center in mid-November and ask whether the vaccine has arrived.
- If your appointment was canceled, ask when the next one is available.
- If you are in a higher-risk group, talk to your doctor about the vaccine.
