Details of vaccination against COVID in Ukraine revealed

In 2021, half of the population of Ukraine is planned to be vaccinated. Photo: Allan Carvalho / Nurphoto / Getty Images

Acting Chairman of the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health, Igor Kuzin, said how the vaccination against COVID-19 will take place in Ukraine, according to LIGA.Life.

According to Kuzin, at the first stage, the Ukrainian government plans to vaccinate about 4 million people.

“Now there are two parallel lines. The first is negotiations on COVAX, this initiative has united almost all countries of the world. December 7 is the deadline for a country to submit a vaccine request. We have already formed it. We understand that we can expect about 8 million doses, which is 20% of the population. These doses will be enough to vaccinate 4 million people because one person needs two doses of the vaccine,” said Kuzin.

He stressed that COVAX can supply several vaccines from different manufacturers at once, and the distribution of the vaccine is not yet known to any country.

“We can get any. This will be a trial launch batch so that the state will show not only its logistics capabilities but so that we can work out all the logistics issues of vaccine delivery, cold chain provision, vaccination campaign, and so on. If the state copes, the next deliveries are made,” the official said.

Kuzin also said that “in addition, Ukraine is negotiating with other manufacturers directly at the expense of the state budget. The purchase of the vaccine was allocated UAH 15 billion. Depending on negotiation, the vaccine may arrive earlier or later than COVAX."

According to the official, in Ukraine 20 million people are included in the groups that the government plans to vaccinate and "if some top-rated group refuses, doctors, for example, then the vaccine will go to the next group in terms of levels."

He noted that vaccination will take place in three stages. At the first stage, the vaccine will be received by those who are at risk, namely: medical workers, military personnel involved in the environmental protection, residents and personnel of special institutions (boarding schools, nursing homes, etc.).

The second stage will begin when the number of vaccines reaches 11-20% of the population. The vaccine will be given to those who are ill and who are over 60 years old, employees of educational institutions, employees of power structures and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, arrested persons and prisoners, staff of prisons and pre-trial detention centres.

The third stage will begin when the vaccine is enough for 21-50% of the population. Here, patients aged 18-59 years old, as well as other categories of the population and professional groups who have a high risk of contracting coronavirus, will receive the vaccine.

In total, it is planned to vaccinate about 50% of Ukrainians in 2021.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that at the beginning of 2021, 4 million Ukrainians will be vaccinated against COVID.

Read also