Zelensky: Ukraine to have enough COVID-19 jabs to vaccinate all those willing before year-end

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky assures that the government will ensure a sufficient number of COVID-19 vaccine doses to provide jabs to all willing to get their shot as early as this year.

"In general, the number of vaccines will be sufficient to provide coronavirus vaccinations for everyone this year," he stressed.

The president recalled that today, at the front line in Donbas, together with soldiers and military medics, he was got his own jab of the Oxford / AstraZeneca (CoviShield) vaccine.

Read alsoOnline registration for COVID-19 vaccination kicks off on March 1"With my personal example, I show that vaccination is important, necessary, and completely safe. You shouldn't be afraid of vaccination, but rather the lies of certain Ukrainian politicians, spreading faster than any infection, being dangerous for the health of all citizens," he stressed.

The president recalled that the Oxford/AstraZeneca (CoviShield) vaccine had been approved for use in dozens of countries, in particular in European Union member states, as well as in the U.S. and UK.

Under an agreement with AstraZeneca, the drug is manufactured by one of the global leaders in vaccine production – Serum Institute of India. Also, production capacities are located in South Korea. The vaccine has been and will continue to be administered to millions worldwide, including in Canada. This vaccine was the first to be delivered to Ukraine.

Zelensky and coronavirus

On March 2, Zelensky received his vaccine shot along with the Ukrainian military.

On November 9, 2020, came the report that Zelensky contracted COVID-19. The president recovered November 23.

COVID-19 vaccination in Ukraine: Background

• On February 22, 2021, 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.