Ukraine expects to receive first batch of COVID-19 vaccine in H1 2021

“Another stage of the meeting of a global initiative [COVAX that is aimed at working with vaccine manufacturers] was held yesterday. We took part in it. So, until December 7, we must sign all the technical documents and we expect that we will start receiving the vaccines in the first half of 2021,” the minister said during an online briefing on November 20, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to Stepanov, this calculation is based "on the reports of the companies included in this initiative as they are in the final stages and are about to complete them and register the vaccine."

The health minister stressed that Ukraine is cooperating on all possible global initiatives to ensure that Ukrainians receive the vaccine as soon as possible after it is registered. The COVAX initiative is one such mechanism.

According to Stepanov, the first batch the vaccine will include 1.2 million doses. The first doses of the vaccine will be given to people with very high risk of exposure to COVID-19, in particular, healthcare workers, and people aged over 65 years, people with chronic illnesses.

As of November 20, Ukraine reported 598,085 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 14,575 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours.

iy