Ukraine to create COVID-19 vaccination register, issue immunity e-passports

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Health, Medical Assistance and Health Insurance Mykhailo Radutsky says that a register of people who will get vaccinated against COVID-19 will be created in Ukraine.

The Servant of the People Party announced this on Facebook on January 20.

Read alsoCOVID-19 vaccination in Ukraine to start in mid-February – Health minister

"There are many reasons why a register of vaccinated people will be created. Firstly, we must know the number of the vaccinated, and it will be very difficult without a registry; secondly, we must monitor complications after vaccination; and thirdly, the ministry is looking into the possibility of issuing electronic [immunity] passports for the vaccinated," it quoted Radutsky as saying.

Radutsky also informed that that "the Minister [of Health Maksym Stepanov] promised that the ministry would decide within a week on a supplier of logistics services for the transportation of [COVID-19] vaccines at low temperatures."

COVID-19 vaccine for Ukraine

• In February-March 2021, Ukraine expects the delivery of a vaccine against COVID-19.
• The first batch of a vaccine via the COVAX Facility will include 8 million doses, which will be enough to vaccinate 4 million people (two shots per person required). First to get vaccinated will be healthcare workers, the elderly, and seriously ill patients.
• On December 24, 2020, Health Minister Stepanov said that his ministry was working out a plan to increase the COVAX vaccine quota from 8 million to 16 million doses.
• On December 30, Ukraine signed a contract with China's Sinovac for the supply of 1.9 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine.
• On January 8, 2020, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Ghebreyesus said that rich countries have the majority of the supply of a COVID-19 vaccine from the manufacturers Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca.
• On January 13, Health Minister Stepanov said that his ministry planned to sign contracts in the coming days with new companies that produce the coronavirus vaccine.
• According to the WHO, 170 experimental vaccines are currently at the stage of preclinical trials, 65 are undergoing clinical trials, of which 15 are at the third, last stage.