Editor’s note: the story has been updated to include a recent announcement by the Kyiv City Council that starting on July 16, the Pfizer vaccine will only be made available to people over the age of 60 in Kyiv.
The American Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will be available to anyone who wants it at mass vaccination centers across Ukraine by the end of July, the Ministry of Health stated on July 12.
However, Kyiv’s regional vaccination director Vasyl Zhyvoteniuk says that there may not be enough doses to satisfy demand in the capital city.
He said that Kyiv authorities are planning to give Pfizer doses to people over the age of 60 and company employees who registered as a group, but that he expects that the Kyiv City Council will decide whether the remaining doses are to be administered across all age categories by the end of July 12.
On July 13, the Kyiv City Council announced that starting July 16, Pfizer vaccines will be available in Kyiv only to people over the age of 60. Younger people will be offered the Chinese-produced CoronaVac.
Ukraine expects to receive nearly 1 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine by the end of July, which is why the ministry announced the vaccine will be available to everyone by the end of the month.
Ukraine’s vaccination drive was designed to proceed in multiple stages, with the most vulnerable populations being given first access. However, many vaccination centers across Ukraine have begun to inoculate all comers, so long as they registered for a jab.
Registration can be done through the Diya app or the health ministry’s hotline. People in Kyiv can also sign up through through the Helsi.me portal.
It’s unclear whether people will be able to get the vaccine of their choice. Zhyvoteniuk told news outlet Hromadske that earlier shortages of the Pfizer vaccine prompted the government to start using different brands as second doses.
COVID-19 vaccination started on February 24. Currently, Pfizer, Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines vaccines are available in the country. On July 5, Ukraine authorized the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for use.
The national vaccination plan expected to inoculate 5.6 million people per month but the actual figures are much lower. About 1.5 million shots were administered in June.
