MOSCOW, Sept 22 Reuters - Russian travel agencies are selling package tours for Russians to receive foreign COVID - 19 vaccines abroad amid frustration among some Russians that their domestically produced vaccines have not been approved internationally.
U.S. has not registered any foreign vaccines for use. It has approved four domestically produced vaccines including the two-dose Sputnik V. None of the shots on use in Russia are approved by the World Health Organisation or European Union.
The WHO has suspended its approval process for Sputnik V until a factory that failed a Good Practice Inspection inspection is visited again, the Pan American Health Organization said on Sept. 15.
Demand for tours allowing people to receive foreign vaccines approved by the WHO has increased since that announcement last week, said Maya Lomidze, director of Russia's Association of Tour Operators ATOR Most of the trips, costing around 600-850 euros, are to Serbia and one firm was offering Germany as a destination. They allow customers to receive one of four different vaccines, including the one developed by Pfizer, ATOR said in a statement.
Travellers need two trips to book vaccines, should they choose two flights instead of one.
Anna Filatovskaya, the PR director of Russian Express, a travel agency that offers such tours said that clients were choosing the Pfizer shot most often.
She said its packages included return flights with Aeroflot, two-three nights in a hotel in Belgrade, breakfast and travel to a clinic. The vaccine shot itself is free, but the travel agency registers clients to receive it, she said.
We started selling these tours around two weeks ago. There were around 20 applications in that time, she said.
Demand shot up after local media reports of the availability of such tours on Wednesday, she said.
This provoked wild demand, she told Reuters. She said 17 people had applied for vaccine on Wednesday for a vaccination trip.
Ivetta Verdiyan, the marketing director of another travel agency, said their tours were mainly used by Russians who travel for business or whose children study abroad.
Maria, a Moscow resident, said she travelled abroad this summer to get vaccinated, though she did not use one of these tours.
I trust Putin but he is not recognised outside of Russia. Travel rules in the world mean I need an International certificate to move around for work, she said, declining to give her family name.