While Ukraine may start receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in January, mass vaccinations may not take place until the middle of 2021.
Over the past several days, Ukrainian officials gave varied estimates to the media about when Ukrainians could be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 13,700 people across the country. Some officials were more optimistic about the timing than others.
But getting the vaccine is only half the battle — Ukraine must also be ready to handle the complicated logistics of mass vaccination.
Ihor Kuzin, head of the Center for Public Health, told the Liga news site that Ukraine will likely get the first 3-5% of the total required vaccines in January as part of the global COVAX vaccine initiative. This will be a “trial batch” so that the country can work out the kinks in its immunization infrastructure.
It is still unclear which vaccine Ukraine will receive, but some could pose particular challenges for the country.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer’s vaccine must be stored at about -70 degrees Celsius. According to Kuzin, Ukraine has limited facilities that can keep the vaccine that cold. It will have to be stored centrally and delivered to the regions in small batches.
But U.S. biotechnology company Moderna’s vaccine can be stored between -20 and -40 degrees Celsius for six months or even up to 8 degrees Celsius for one month, which would present fewer challenges.
Another question that must be answered is who will receive the vaccine and when. Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said in a statement that Ukraine will start to see vaccine deliveries in the first quarter of 2021. At-risk populations — including medical workers, teachers, the elderly and people with comorbidities — will be on the priority list.
Serhiy Komissarenko, the biological security commission chief of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said it is unlikely that mass vaccination will start sooner than the middle of the year.
Even though Ukraine will likely receive large amounts of the vaccine at the start of the second quarter, its immunization infrastructure will not be ready until mid-year.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, meanwhile, vowed to the RBC Ukraine news site that the country will not be last in line to receive the vaccine. He said Ukraine is actively working with COVAX and holding bilateral talks with the U.S. and Germany to resolve the issue.
Under COVAX, Ukraine is supposed to receive 8 million doses, enough for 10% of the population, as each person requires two doses to be protected. According to state company Medical Procurement of Ukraine, the country will need 22 million more double doses to hit the World Health Organization’s 65% target required for collective immunity.
Ukraine is also negotiating to buy directly from the suppliers, with a budget of Hr 15 billion ($532 million), according to Kuzin.
Last week, Medical Procurements wrote that Ukraine had budgeted only Hr 2.6 billion ($92 million) on the vaccine, which was only half of the necessary amount of Hr 5.2 billion ($184.5 million), assuming favorable prices.
Starting Dec. 19, Ukraine will launch its first mobile hospital for COVID-19 patients in Mykolaiv. The hospital will be modular and have 60 beds, according to chief sanitary doctor Viktor Lyashko.
