First batch of Chinese vaccine to arrive in Ukraine before April: Minister

Health Minister Maksym Stepanov says the first batch of a coronavirus vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Boitech Ltd is to arrive in Ukraine by the end of March.

It will include 700,000 doses, the RBC Ukraine news agency reported.

Read alsoReuters: Ukraine approves China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine

"According to information from [the intermediary company] Lekhim, the first 700,000 doses are expected by the end of March. But this is preliminary information," the minister said.

Earlier it became known that the first batch of the CoronaVac vaccine, according to the contract, was supposed to arrive in Ukraine no later than March 7. However, the supplier did not fulfill the terms of the contract and thus is facing a fine.

Vaccination campaign in Ukraine

• Ukraine started COVID-19 vaccinations on February 24, 2021, but only 19,118 first shots had been given by March 9.
• The first stage of the vaccination campaign covers healthcare workers handling COVID-19 patients, ambulance crews, lab personnel, the military in Donbas.
• Ukraine uses the Indian-produced Covishield vaccine.