Ukraine negotiating with Pfizer, AstraZeneca on purchase of COVID-19 vaccine

15.10.2020 16:27

Ukrinform

Ukraine has joined the global COVAX initiative, which created the alliance to provide countries worldwide equitable access to safe and effective coronavirus vaccines.

“We have been told that we can count on 8 million doses within the framework of this initiative when the coronavirus vaccine is created. At the same time, the Ministry of Health is negotiating with such global companies as Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinovac," Health Minister of Ukraine Maksym Stepanov said, the Ministry’s press service informs.

As the minister noted, Ukraine also needs to launch the production of domestic vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, measles, and other diseases.

“We have to launch domestic vaccine production. Our country must have its own supply of vaccines. This path is not fast. It’s impossible to do this in six months, but our manufacturers are ready to start. At least three manufacturers we spoke to have the appropriate capacities. I'm talking about the vaccines we use constantly: diphtheria, tetanus, measles vaccines. This is a matter of our biological security. As COVID-19 shows, we need to have our own production. Even if it turns out to be more expensive at the first stage,” Stepanov stressed.

As reported, the Ministry of Health plans to purchase 1.41 million doses of influenza vaccine to vaccinate people at risk.

As of October 15, Ukraine has reported 281,239 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 5,062 new coronavirus cases registered in the past 24 hours.