Ukraine could receive first batch of vaccines from COVAX before Apr 15 – Health chief

The delivery of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines to Ukraine as part of the global COVAX facility is expected by April 15.

"We expect the first COVAX delivery – 360,000 doses of AstraZeneca and 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines – by April 15. This is the information we have from the COVAX facility," the minister told one of Ukraine's TV channels.

"According to the information we have from COVAX, by June 1, we should receive 1.7 million doses of vaccines," he said.

In addition, Stepanov recalled that Ukraine is expected to receive a total of 8 million doses within the COVAX framework.

Vaccination for coronavirus in Ukraine: Latest

The Ministry of Health for use in Ukraine has registered vaccines produced by Pfizer, Covishield by Oxford/AstraZeneca, and CoronaVac produced by a Chinese company Sinovac Biotech.

On February 24, an inoculation campaign was launched in Ukraine with the CoviShield (AstraZeneca) vaccine, produced under license in India by the Serum Institute.

Read alsoBatch of Chinese vaccine arrives in UkraineOn March 25, the first batch of Chinese-made CoronaVac vaccines in the amount of 215,000 doses arrived in Ukraine. The vaccine must undergo lab control that will last 10 days, after which a state company will deliver across regions.

The Ministry of Health also announced that by late March – early April, within the framework of the COVAX facility, Ukraine will receive a batch of 570,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and by the end of May – another 1.1-1.2 million vaccines produced by this company. In addition, Ukraine will also receive Pfizer vaccines.

The supply is also expected of the contracted vaccine by the American company Novavax in the amount of 10 million doses, as well as an Indian drug by Bharat Biotech.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine had signed preliminary agreements on the supply of coronavirus vaccines with six global manufacturers.