Director of the Public Health Institute of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Davor Pehar said that coronavirus vaccine will be free of charge and on a voluntary basis for all citizens and that it will be based on the principles of equality, fairness and solidarity with the most vulnerable.

He reminded that the Government of the Federation of B&H yesterday accepted the Vaccination Plan against COVID-19 in the Federation of B&H with the aim of providing a framework for vaccination against coronavirus to preserve public health and achieve optimal crisis management through vaccination of the population.

Pehar said that the cantonal public health institutes were informed about the plan at a meeting held in December last year and that they were given certain tasks, namely to form operational teams for conducting vaccinations at the cantonal level, as well as to appoint vaccination teams in health care facilities.

-Based on their lists, vaccinations will be organized- Pehar pointed out at a press conference in Sarajevo.

The plan defines the roles of all levels of government. The primary plan, Pehar said, is to reduce the morbidity and mortality that can be associated with Covid-19 and reduce the transmission of the virus among citizens and thus preserve the functionality of society.

Pehar emphasizes that the expert advisory body for immunization also considered and accepted the proposal of the priority groups for vaccination, as well as the vaccination plan itself.

Speaking about the priority groups, he pointed out that they are primarily health workers and other health staff, then residents of social institutions for elderly, as well as employees working in these institutions, then people with chronic diseases and people who are employed in some major public services.

-Operational teams will be composed of a plan implementation manager, a person in charge of logistical supervision and a person in charge of overseeing the vaccination process in the field. A system of subordination has been established to help us- he explained.

He pointed out that the FB&H Government has made great efforts to provide the necessary vaccines for fellow citizens and that a meeting with representatives of operational teams and cantonal public health institutes is scheduled for Tuesday, at which a coordination committee composed of cantonal institutes will be formed.

He added that they will agree on more detailed procedures for the vaccination process at the meeting.