Ukraine set to vaccinate half of population against COVID-19 in 2021, early 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine plans to have half of the population vaccinated against COVID-19 throughout 2021 and into early 2022.

Speaking during the all-Ukrainian forum „Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses,” he said the first priority in the fight against COVID-19 is the inoculation campaign and its „road map.” This road map is designed to ensure adequate and equal access to the vaccine for all residents of Ukraine.

„Its main task is to cover at least half of the population of Ukraine throughout 2021 and into early 2022,” the president said, an UNIAN correspondent reported.

COVID-19 vaccination in Ukraine

On December 30, Ukraine signed a contract with China’s Sinovac for the supply of 1.9 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine.

On January 30, 2021, Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister, Chief Medical Officer Viktor Liashko said Ukraine would receive 117,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine within the COVAX (the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility) in February.

From the middle of February to the end of June 2021, Ukraine will obtain 2.2 million to 3.7 million doses of an AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine.

First to get vaccinated will be healthcare workers, the elderly, and seriously ill patients.

In December 2020, the Health Ministry’s coronavirus task force approved a COVID-19 immunization plan under which at least 50% of Ukrainians (20 million people) are to be vaccinated during 2021-2022.

On January 29, the National Commission for technology-related and environmental safety and emergencies approved a schedule for vaccination against the coronavirus in Ukraine in 2021.

On February 4, Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said the vaccination against COVID-19 in the country would start on February 15.

Source: unian.info