Czech president Miloš Zeman to get vaccinated in second half of January

Czech President Miloš Zeman will get vaccinated against COVID-19 during the second half of January by the vaccine available then, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš told reporters after their New Year luncheon at the Lány presidential manor today.

They debated the epidemic and economic situation, Babiš added.

He also said the presidential advisory team would meet in Lány in mid-January, and that he and Finance Minister Alena Schillerová would also attend the meeting.

Zeman will be vaccinated during his regular medical check-up in the second half of January, Babiš noted.

Zeman had said in the past that he would wait for the vaccine to be administered in a single dose only. At present, two doses are needed from the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine currently available in the Czech Republic.

The New Year luncheon between Zeman and Babis started after 13:00. They met without their families this year due to anti-coronavirus measures.

Like a year ago, Zeman originally invited Babiš along with his wife Monika and children Vivien and Frederik. The president's wife Ivana and daughter Kateřina were also to join the luncheon.

However, the plan was sharply criticized by opposition parties as well as the public, since the luncheon was to be held with strict anti-coronavirus measures in place in the Czech Republic. Currently, a ban on meetings of more than two people, if they are not from the same household, is in place.

Babiš and Health Minister Jan Blatný (for ANO) defended the meeting, saying it was in harmony with the anti-epidemic measures as it would take place in a private household and not in public.

But Babiš and Zeman ultimately decided to meet without their families. Babiš said they would meet with their families in better times.

Zeman's spokesman Jiří Ovčáček told CTK that Prague ham was served as a starter and pheasant from the Lány game preserve as a main course at today's luncheon.