COVID-19 vaccination campaign launched in Joint Forces Operation zone in Donbas (Photos)

A COVID-19 vaccination campaign has been launched in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) zone in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, as the first batch of vaccine has arrived at military hospital No. 66.

The hospital has received 7,200 doses of the vaccine, the JFO HQ's press center said on Facebook on February 25.

Read alsoAt snail's pace, COVID-19 vaccination campaign gradually unfolding in Ukraine

Hospital personnel and mobile paramedic teams will get vaccinated, it said.

"Tomorrow [February 26], teams consisting of an anesthesiologist, a general practitioner, and a nurse will be visiting JFO units to conduct the vaccination," it said. "It must be noted that the vaccination is completely voluntary. First, all patients will be examined by a doctor, who will measure their body temperature, blood pressure, and collect anamnesis data, and then it will be decided whether they can be vaccinated. Such factors as a fever, acute illness, or allergic reactions to components of the vaccine are absolute contraindication."

Vaccination in Ukraine

• On February 22, the Ukrainian Health Ministry registered the Oxford / AstraZeneca (Covishield) COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.
• The vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford in partnership with the British-Swedish company AstraZeneca. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and authorized by the UK, the European Union, and India.
• On February 23, the first batch of the Covishield vaccine arrived in Ukraine.
• On February 24, Ukraine launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign. About 160 healthcare workers were first who got vaccinated.