Zelensky in talks with leaders of other countries on COVID-19 vaccine – health minister
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Ukraine will receive the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines under the global initiative COVAX at the end of the first quarter or the beginning of the second quarter of 2021, but the Health Ministry is negotiating with manufacturers so as to begin the vaccination program in Ukraine in February, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov has said.
"According to preliminary estimates, we should receive the first batch of vaccine in the first half of next year. We expect it to be the end of the first quarter or the beginning of the second quarter. This is under the global initiative COVAX, which Ukraine has joined. We have signed all the documents, and we have received the approval of our technical application, so we expect the first deliveries of vaccines at the end of the first quarter or the beginning of the second quarter under the COVAX initiative. This is something that has already been confirmed," Stepanov said at a briefing on Wednesday, December 16.

At the same time, he said, the Health Ministry is holding negotiations with manufacturers to speed up the delivery of vaccines to Ukraine.

"In addition, we are now working hard with manufacturers from whom we will purchase vaccines. These are all manufacturers whose vaccines are currently undergoing certification and have passed all clinical trials. We already have all the proposals, and we are trying to get these vaccines to Ukraine as soon as possible. We set the goal of starting the first vaccination from February next year," Stepanov said.

According to him, President Volodymyr Zelensky joined the negotiation process on the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to Ukraine.

Stepanov said that Zelensky was holding talks directly with the leaders of other countries in order to speed up the supply of vaccines to Ukraine.

As part of the COVAX initiative, Ukraine will receive eight million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, which will be enough to vaccinate four million people, as the vaccine must be given twice.

The Ukrainian Health Ministry expects at least 21 million people to be vaccinated against COVID-19, first and foremost, people from risk groups: doctors, servicemen, educators, law enforcement officers, people with chronic diseases, and the elderly.