The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) delivered to Ukraine 2,930,300 doses of mRNA vaccine from COVID-19 manufactured by Moderna.
Ukraine receives vaccines free of charge through COVAX, an international community solidarity initiative to facilitate access to effective and safe COVID-19 vaccines for all countries.
“Currently, 11 million Ukrainians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Today, vaccination is primarily the responsibility of everyone to themselves and others. The state has done everything to ensure that Ukrainians have the opportunity to be vaccinated and even choose vaccines. Moderna is the fourth vaccine available in Ukraine for vaccination against COVID-19. I thank the international partners for their systematic support and common desire to overcome the pandemic,†said Viktor Lyashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine.
In total, under COVAX, together with this supply, UNICEF delivered 7,415,810 doses of vaccines from various manufacturers (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac).
“Vaccination is the only way to protect life from COVID-19, and I urge all Ukrainians to take advantage of this protection. Thanks to the efforts of donors and partners within COVAX, vaccines from COVID are now available to anyone. In particular, we hope that all teachers will receive vaccinations as soon as possible, including vaccines from this party, so that schools are open and children return to class. It is impossible to watch people suffocate in crowded hospitals calmly. On the other hand, vaccinated people are five times less likely to become infected and have a more than ten times lower risk of hospitalization than unvaccinated people. According to the latest UNICEF survey, 42% of Ukrainians who have not yet been vaccinated are ready to be vaccinated, encouraging. Please get protection now!†said Murat Shahin, Head of UNICEF Ukraine.
Deliveries on behalf of the initiative will protect as many people in Ukraine as possible from COVID-19.
“Since the end of October, Ukraine has recorded a record high level of new infections and deaths from coronavirus. While one in five Ukrainians has been vaccinated against COVID-19, most hospitalized people and in need of emergency care have not received an entire course of COVID-19 vaccination. WHO welcomes the delivery of the Moderna vaccine through the COVAX initiative to Ukraine. Thanks to everyone's efforts, there are now enough vaccines in Ukraine that allow one hundred thousand people to be vaccinated every day. We urge Ukrainians to take the opportunity to get vaccinated and show solidarity in the fight against the pandemic,†said Dr. Jarno Habicht, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative and Head of the WHO Office in Ukraine.
Storage and logistics of mRNA vaccines obtained from COVAX, in compliance with the relevant cold chain in Ukraine, are provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Vaccination is the only way to prevent severe COVID-19, hospitalization, and death. Even if a vaccinated person becomes ill, they are more likely to get the disease quickly.
All adults and children over 12 years of age can be vaccinated against COVID-19. People with chronic diseases (diabetes, oncology, bronchial asthma, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, hemodialysis patients) and pregnant women who may be severely affected by the disease must be vaccinated as soon as possible. The only real contraindication to vaccination with COVID-19 is anaphylactic shock at the first dose of the vaccine.
The COVAX initiative aims to ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for every country globally. COVAX is coordinated by the Global Vaccine and Immunization Alliance (GAVI), WHO, and the Innovation Preparedness Coalition (CEPI), and UNICEF works with COVID vaccine manufacturers and partners 19. COVAX works with civil society organizations, vaccine manufacturers, governments in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the World Bank, and others.
