A million doses of the Chinese coronavirus vaccine arrived in Serbia in mid-January, and thus Serbia became the first European country to start mass vaccination with the Chinese vaccine. After seeing this, Hungary also announced the purchase of Sinofarm’s vaccines, although the Chinese vaccine was not approved in the EU. Were we a "waiting room" for the Hungarians, as Prime Minister Viktor Orban claims?

The leader of the People’s Party, Vuk Jeremic, informed the public that he was vaccinated with the Chinese vaccine, not to brag, but so that, as he says, he would not be misunderstood.

And yet, he was misunderstood after he posted an audio recording of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on a social network, with this translation.

„It will sound bad, but they (Serbia) come to us as a waiting room, where they’ll try the vaccines for us, which we are still reluctant to buy,“ said the Hungarian Prime Minister, according to Jerenic.

It also sounds bad when the Hungarian Prime Minister’s statement is placed in the correct context. Here is exactly what he said on the Hungarian state radio.

„First of all, Serbia is a serious country. It managed to organize supplies better than those in the European Union. Secondly, it is a question of a waiting room – maybe the word ‘laboratory’ is not appropriate, but essentially that’s what it is – a place where they test the vaccines which we are still not sure about, if I may say so,“ said Orban.

The fact is, foreign media write, we are seeing an EU debacle with the vaccination, and that the countries that adhered to their own agreements on vaccines fared better than EU member states that are waiting for centralized procurement of vaccines.

That is how the German Chancellor saw the question of Serbia’s resourcefulness.

„Serbia vaccinates faster because Serbia is vaccinating with the Chinese vaccine. We have always said that anyone who seeks approval from the European Medicines Agency is very welcome. That is exactly what I talked about with the Russian president, now we hear that the Russian vaccination has good results as well. Any vaccine is welcome in the EU, but only the one that provides the necessary information to the European Agency will be approved,“ said German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

While the West doubts the Chinese vaccine, Deutsche Welle writes, a campaign is underway in the Chinese state media that calls into question the efficiency and safety of vaccines approved in Western countries, especially the Pfizer’s vaccine.