Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Oleh Nemchynov says Ukraine will get 16 million doses of a vaccine as part of COVAX, the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility.
"Not 8 million [as reported earlier], but 16 million doses of the vaccine... Eight million is the number of doses that need to be injected twice for 4 million citizens. Accordingly, 16 million will be for 8 million citizens. This is what Ukraine will get under COVAX," he told the Dom TV channel.
Read alsoMinister Kuleba says China ready to supply COVID-19 vaccine to UkraineThe minister reiterated Ukraine had already approved a roadmap for mass vaccination against COVID-19. The main thing now is to vaccinate those groups of people who are identified as priority ones.
"After we move on to the planned procurement of the vaccine, which has already been certified in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, and the EU, we will be able to enable people who are not on the priority list to get vaccinated on their own," Nemchynov added.
Vaccination against COVID-19 in Ukraine
- On November 18, the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX) confirmed the reports on plans to provide Ukraine with a free vaccine against the coronavirus disease. In particular, about 4 million Ukrainian nationals will be able to get vaccinated in the first half of 2021. Later it became known that proper vaccination includes two shots at a price of US$7 each.
- On December 4, the Verkhovna Rada allowed a fast-track procedure for the approval of clinical trials and state certification of vaccines or other immunobiological medications to be used to tackle the coronavirus.
- On December 6, Chairman of the Commission on Biosafety and Biological Protection under the Council of National Security and Defense, Academician Serhiy Komisarenko said mass vaccination could be launched in Ukraine no earlier than the middle of 2021.
- On December 12, Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister, Chief Medical Officer Viktor Liashko said COVAX had officially approved 8 million doses of a free COVID-19 vaccine for Ukraine.
- On December 17, Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said Ukraine expects to get the first doses of vaccines approved by COVAX in March 2021.
- On December 23, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky enacted the bill passed by Parliament December 4.
- On December 24, 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.
