In Ukraine, vaccination may begin on February 15 - Liashko
COVID-19 vaccination in Ukraine may begin around February 15 or later.
Chief Sanitary Doctor Viktor Liashko stated this in an interview with BBC News Ukraine.
According to him, the first vaccines can be brought to Ukraine on these dates.
"We can say that approximately on February 15. Probably later. Many processes are at the stage of coordination," the official said.
When asked if there was a possibility that the vaccine would not be delivered in February and everything would be postponed, he said that only force majeure could prevent it.
"For example, the batch won't be released or involved in an accident, the plane won't take off because of poor weather. If we don't receive the vaccine in February, then only because of such things. I'm more than sure that in February, we'll start the coronavirus prevention campaign," Liashko said.
Meanwhile, he didn't answer the question of which vaccine Ukrainians would be vaccinated against coronavirus:
"The question is which vaccine will come first. It can be the one allocated under COVAX, provided to Ukraine for free. Or the one that Ukraine contracted for budget funds."
According to him, if not COVAX, then the Pfizer vaccine will probably be the first to arrive. On January 29, they'll know if Pfizer is given to Ukraine. If it's not Pfizer, then it's 80% that it'll be AstraZeneca.
