Ukraine still hopes to receive first batches of COVID vaccine in February or early March - Shmyhal

Vaccination against COVID-19 in Ukraine may begin in February. This was reported by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in the Verkhovna Rada today during the hour of questions to the government, - correspondent of OstroV reports.

"We are still counting on the first batches of COVID-19 vaccine in February. Ukraine will receive it in two ways: through the global COVAX initiative, within which Ukraine can receive from 8 to 16 million doses free of charge or at a reduced price", - he reported.

According to him, Ukraine will receive the first batches of vaccine from BioNTech/Pfizer in the amount of 117 thousand doses in late February-early March.

In addition, Ukraine should receive from 2.2 to 3.7 million doses from AstraZeneca/Oxford in the first half of 2021.

"The second way to get the vaccine is through direct purchases from manufacturing companies at the expense of the state budget, international donors, loans and programs of the World Bank and EBRD, other sources are also being considered", - the prime minister noted.

As previously reported, head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health of Ukraine Maksym Stepanov said on February 16 that vaccination against coronavirus infection COVID-19 would begin at the end of this or early next week. Previously, February 15 was called starting date of the vaccination.