COVID-19: Ukraine to issue international vaccine certificates

Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister and Chief Medical Officer Viktor Liashko says Ukraine plans to issue international COVID-19 vaccine certificates.

Yet, there are no plans to introduce any other "immune passports," the Ukrainian Health Ministry's Coronavirus_info Telegram channel said.

According to the official, the international health regulations clearly define the requirements for an international certificate of vaccination. If a certain country requires such a certificate of vaccination for crossing the border, Ukrainians will be able to get it for free in two clicks, he added.

"But now it is not worth implementing and demanding a COVID-19 vaccine certificate. I fully share the opinion of WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge who publicly warns the European Commission against plans to introduce documents on vaccination against COVID-19," Liashko said.

Read alsoAlmost 250,000 Ukrainians sign up for COVID-19 vaccination waiting listVaccination against COVID-19: What is known

• A mere 0.88% of the population worldwide has received the second shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. At the same time, the supply of such vaccines on the global market is limited.
• Europe is actively preparing for the launch of COVID-19 passports, which should simplify travel between countries and, perhaps, give their holders more opportunities in everyday life.
• On February 24, 2021, Ukraine launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign with the Indian-produced Covishield vaccine (AstraZeneca), which arrived in Ukraine on February 23. An emergency room doctor from Cherkasy region was the first one to get vaccinated. He has been working in intensive care with COVID-19 patients since the beginning of the epidemic.
• As of March 15, 2021, as many as 53,155 Ukrainians had received their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.