Ukraine gets 117,000 Pfizer doses via COVAX

Ukraine received its first 117,000 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX global vaccine sharing programme on Friday.

Under a contract between Kyiv and Pfizer, the country expects a shipment of 10 more million doses in May-June.

The country's chief doctor has said vaccinations using the Pfizer shot will begin in the Kyiv region on Sunday and will be offered across the country from Monday.

Residents and staff of Ukraine's retirement homes will be the first in line to get the jab, then it will be offered to emergency officials and border guards.

Ukraine started vaccinations in February after receiving 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca shot from India.

Kyiv also ordered 1.9 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by the Chinese drug maker Sinovac Biotech.

The immunisation campaign has been hampered by widespread reluctance to take the vaccine, with only 432,817 people getting at least one shot so far.

Struggling to contain the soaring infections, the Ukrainian authorities introduced lockdown restrictions in many of the country's regions.

The former Soviet nation of 41 million has registered 1.9 million cases and more than 39,000 confirmed deaths.

It reported 17,479 new coronavirus cases on Friday.