Ukraine gets first COVID-19 vaccine from India, launches voluntary vaccination

Ukraine received the first batch of AstraZeneca’s
COVID-19 vaccines branded as Covishield and manufactured by the Serum Institute
of India, which supplies medicines to nearly 140 countries, UNIAN reported.
500,000 doses arrived at Boryspil International Airport on Feb. 23.

Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister and Chief Medical
Officer Viktor Liashko said that several Ukrainian regions would receive the
vaccines immediately – the city of Kyiv and the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Cherkasy,
Poltava and Vinnytsia regions.

President Volodymyr Zelensky told Liashko that a
nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign should begin as soon as the regions
receive the first batches of a vaccine. “But it must be voluntary – no one needs
to be forced, it is better to inform people in detail about the proper quality
of the drug,” Zelensky said, adding that the vaccine supply logistics has
already been worked out and there should be no delays.

Doctors of hospitals with COVID-19 patients will be
vaccinated first, followed by other healthcare workers. The second stage
provides for the vaccination of the military. Zelensky confirmed his readiness
to get vaccinated together with the servicemen in his capacity of the supreme
commander-in-chief.

Liashko informed the president that two COVID-19
vaccines, Pfizer/BioNTech and Covishield, were registered in Ukraine Feb. 22,
and the delivery of Covishield to the regions will start Feb. 24.

Yuri Svirko: Ukraine is
one of the last European countries to get a COVID-19 vaccine and start
vaccination. Against the background of delays with vaccine procurement and
deliveries, as well as popular rumors about the alleged poor quality and low
efficiency of the Indian-made Covishield, it is good that vaccination will be
finally launched and will remain voluntary. While the outcome of vaccination is
yet to be tested, Ukraine will not be isolated among its neighbours who are
actively vaccinating their populations. We expect the vaccination campaign to
help ease the coronavirus-related restrictions, improving Ukraine’s business
climate and reopening foreign travel. But the timing of such improvements is
still hard to forecast.