Serbia has overtaken the European Union's vaccination rates thanks a shipment of 1 million doses China's Sinopharm vaccine.

The Balkan country has inoculated more than 450,000 of its population of 7 million in almost two weeks, a rate that exceeds all other states in Europe apart from the UK, according to the scientific publication Our World in Data.

One key difference between Serbia's vaccination program and the rest of Europe is that most of the vials are filled with a vaccine made by Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm.

As the EU's roll-out is beset by delays and controversies, Serbia – which lies outside the bloc's borders – has raced ahead by turning its gaze to the East, securing deals with Chinese and Russian producers.

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When registering for an appointment, Serbs can tick off their vaccine of choice, with the Pfizer/BioNtech, Sputnik V and Sinopharm jabs all currently available.

Yet it is the Chinese-made vaccine that is making up the lion's share of injections after Serbia received a 1 million doses in mid-January that kicked off its mass-immunization campaign.

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic has framed the vaccination success as the fruit of his personal friendships and diplomacy.

"I wrote to Xi Jinping in October," Vucic said, telling local media of the "good deal" he struck with his Chinese counterpart for the Sinopharm vaccine.

He added: "When you see the price, you'll erect a monument in my honor one day."

The smoothness of the nationwide vaccine roll-out has been a surprise for some.

"Everyone knew exactly what they were doing, there were enough staff, all of them were kind," Snezana Krivokapic, a 38-year-old communications manager, told AFP after receiving her shot.

Apart from the batch of Chinese-made jabs, the Balkan country has also imported more than 30,000 Pfizer/BioNtech vaccines and 40,000 Russian Sputnik V shots.

Vucic recently announced that Serbia's "friends" will send another 1 million doses before March, without revealing any details.