Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he will get vaccinated against COVID-19 at his own expense.
He announced this in an interview for the Focus magazine, answering a question whether he, as president, will be eligible for a free vaccine.
"As a president, I don't get anything for free," he said.
"When we negotiate with companies that will supply vaccines to Ukraine, they ask to open a commercial market for them. This indicates there is a segment of people all over the world – and our country is no exception – who will not pay attention to the price. They understand that the state has priority groups of the population – these are the low-income people, doctors, the army, teachers, people with serious illnesses. Therefore, people like me will get vaccinated at their own expense. This is normal," he said.
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Vaccine against coronavirus in Ukraine
- In March, the first batch with 8 million doses of a vaccine is expected to be shipped to Ukraine under the COVAX Facility. These doses are enough to vaccinate 4 million people, because one person needs two shots of the vaccine. Doctors, senior citizens, and seriously ill patients will get vaccinated first.
- On December 24, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said that his ministry was working out a plan to increase the vaccine quota as part of the COVAX global initiative from 8 million to 16 million doses.
- On the same day, Stepanov signed a roadmap for mass vaccination against COVID-19 in Ukraine in 2021-2022.
