Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said the issue with COVID-19 vaccine supplies to Ukraine is now on priority agenda.
"The issue of the vaccine is on the agenda and in the talking points for everyone – the president, myself, health minister, ambassadors in certain countries – we are all working on it, searching, agreeing," he told the RBC Ukraine news agency.
Kuleba recalled the Ukrainian Health Ministry had previously joined the European Health Committee, and later COVAX. The work is underway at a bilateral level with the governments of Germany and the United States.
Read alsoNSDC names possible dates for start of mass vaccination against COVID-19 in UkraineAt the same time, according to Kuleba, it is too early to talk about specifics: only a couple of weeks ago the reports came about the effectiveness of certain vaccines.
"We won't lag behind as we plan to secure this thanks to two elements: active participation in COVAX, and friendly relations with the countries that will be the first to gain access to the vaccine," the minister said.
Coronavirus vaccines
On December 4, the Verkhovna Rada allowed a fast-track procedure for the approval of clinical trials and state registration for vaccines or other immunobiological medications to be used to tackle the coronavirus.
The Cabinet has already announced that Ukraine will get accelerated access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to researchers, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna has been shown to remain effective against the novel coronavirus for at least three months.
Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said about 20 million Ukrainians are to be vaccinated against coronavirus at the expense of budget funds.
