Reuters news agency reported on Tuesday that Ukraine received its first batch of 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on 23 February 2021, allowing it to launch its delayed vaccine roll-out, starting with front-line medical workers and soldiers.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, tweeted: "We will start vaccination ASAP. We need to fight COVID together."
Ukraine's Health Minister, Maksym Stepanov, stated on Facebook: "Now we are urgently clearing the cargo through customs and the vaccine will immediately go to the regions."
Reportedly, Ukraine has lagged behind its neighbours in securing vaccines for its 41 million people, asking EU member states for help while refusing to buy the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine from Russia.
Ukraine had planned to launch mass vaccinations in mid-February 2021 through the global COVAX programme for poorer countries but the government said the roll-out was postponed due to a delay in delivery.
The current AstraZeneca doses were produced by the Serum Institute of India, and Ukraine approved the vaccine this week.
The health ministry said it had agreed to buy a total of 17 million doses of Indian-made vaccines, including 15 million doses of the Novavax shot.
So far, Ukraine has registered over 1.3 million COVID-19 cases and 25,309 deaths.
Merck launches Phase 3 trial for dengue vaccine candidate V181
BioNet and Bio Farma sign MoU on TdaP vaccine
Dx&Vx accelerates universal COVID-19 vaccine development
Moderna withdraws application for flu-COVID combination vaccine pending additional efficacy data
CTP delivers 18,000 sqm Serbian facility for SCHOTT Pharma to support global expansion
LakeShore Biopharma launches novel packaging solution for YSJA rabies vaccine (Vero cell)
Scancell partners with NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad to accelerate melanoma trial recruitment
Orexo reports positive results for powder-based intranasal vaccine using AmorphOX technology
GC Biopharma's BARYTHRAX receives Korean regulatory approval
GSK grants USD2m to boost adult vaccination efforts
Valneva and LimmaTech begin Phase 2 infant trial for Shigella vaccine candidate S4V2
Circio Holding and Entos Pharmaceuticals collaborate on circular RNA delivery
AKAGERA Medicines completes first cohort in phase 1 SAD/MAD study of AKG-100