Ministry of Health plans to give all Ukrainians opportunity to have free vaccination by 2022
The Ministry of Health expects to ensure access to the COVID-19 vaccine for all citizens by the end of 2021.
Health Minister Maksym Stepanov stated this during the "Sbovoda Slova" program.
"We want to ensure access to vaccines (we're talking about access to vaccines because our vaccination is voluntary), we want free access for all citizens by the end of 2021, depending on the stages. The first four stages are citizens who are in the different risk groups, either by occupation, or by age, or those who have comorbidities," Stepanov said.
To recap, within the global COVAX initiative, Ukraine will receive 117,000 doses of BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine in mid-February. We also expect the AstraZeneca vaccine to be delivered in February. The Ministry of Health estimates that about 1 million doses of this vaccine will be delivered.
According to the vaccination plan announced by the Cabinet of Ministers, 367 thousand medical workers, employees of hospitals treating COVID-19 patients, military personnel from the Joint Forces Operation zone will be vaccinated in the first stage, in February-April.
In general, vaccination plans are as follows:
- in April-May, 1.9 million primary care physicians and people over the age of 80;
- in May-June, 363 thousand of all other health care providers;
- in June-July, 2.9 million people aged 70-79;
- in July-August, 640 thousand employees of the state security structure;
- in August-September, 2.3 million people aged 65-69;
- in September-October, 1.4 million education workers;
- in October-November, 2.8 million people aged 60-64;
- in November-December, 1.7 million people from other categories.
