Ukraine has received over 367,200 doses of AstraZeneca-SKBio vaccine, produced in South Korea, as part of the COVAX Facility aid.
The batch was delivered to Ukraine by UNICEF and WHO on Friday. It will be used to vaccinate priority groups, people over the age of 65 and those who require a second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine according to the relevant interval between the first and second shots, as reported by the Health Ministry's press service.
"Ukraine has undertaken ambitious targets to ensure COVID-19 vaccination for most of the adult population until the end of the year. This is a huge challenge, and we're looking forward to the parallel launch of various platforms, the use of various vaccines, and all possible supply routes to achieve this goal," Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister and Chief Medical Officer Viktor Liashko said.
UNICEF Representative in Ukraine Lotta Sylwander has noted that COVAX Facility provides all vaccines free of charge, adding that the second batch arrived at a very symbolic time, ahead of World Immunization Week.
The Health Ministry reiterated COVAX had set a goal to ensure equal access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries.
In total, COVAX is set to provide vaccines for eight million Ukrainians before year-end.
COVID-19 in Ukraine: Latest
- In the past day, 14,277 people, including 591 children and 277 healthcare workers, tested positive for the coronavirus, while 3,728 new patients were hospitalized.
- The death toll has hit 41,700 with 434 fatalities recorded in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, 18,964 coronavirus patients recovered in the past day.
- In total, 95,740 tests were run in the country in the past day. In particular, there were 41,305 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests run, 18,360 ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) tests, and 36,075 antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests.
- Authorities say 16,169 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in Ukraine in the past day, on April 22, 2021. In total, 508,046 people have been vaccinated since the launch of a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The shots were administered by 283 mobile vaccination teams and at 470 vaccination centers.
- In the past day, most vaccinations were recorded in Dnipropetrovsk region (1,453), Zaporizhia region (1,084), and the city of Kyiv (1,679).
- At the same time, 485,700 Ukrainians have signed up for the COVID-19 vaccination waiting list, the report said.
