Ukraine: Health workers hail vaccination drive as COVID overwhelms its health care system

Ukrainian health workers have welcomed COVID-19 immunization drive in country hoping that it would bring much-needed relief. Ukraine kick-started its vaccination drive on February 25, targeting to inoculate its key health workers and military personnel battling Russian forces in first schedule. health ministry aims to immunize nearly 367,000 people by end of April and about 35 per cent of its 41 million residents by end of this year, Kyiv Post reported.

On Wednesday, Yevgeny Gorenko, an intensive care specialist became first Ukrainian to receive Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine jab, that h arrived from India earlier this week. Hailing vaccination, he later told Associated Press that it was better to prevent infections “than to treat complications of disease later". Anor frontline health worker, Vitaly Akubyak, who works as a hospital anessiologist in western city of Kolomyya said that country was currently facing “strongest wave of COVID-19”.

Vaccination schedule

According to country’s health ministry, first tranche of vaccines would be ministered to medical workers and military personnel in Eastern part of  country. ditionally, vaccination drive would also focus on western part of country, where a recent outbreak has wreaked havoc. According to Associated Press, city of Ivano Frankivsk, where lockdown was lifted last month, has witnessed a sudden influx of patients. This has prompted authorities to build a makeshift hospital in case of emergency.

Re: Russia Clashes With US And West Over Conflict In Ukraine

Ukraine, which is engaged in a local battle with Russia, has been hammered by coronavirus pandemic. Not only has it’s economic situation has depreciated, country’s health facilities are also struggling to sail through pandemic. Since outbreak, country has reported a total of  1,311,844 cases and 25,309 fatalities. Apart from shipment from India, country is also set to receive vaccines from China, with which it inked a deal to secure 1.9 million Sinovac vaccine shots. 

Re: Ukraine Accuses Russia Of 'targeted Assassination', Files Case At European Court

While Ukraine is stepping up attempts to procure vaccine doses, it is strictly against getting it from Russia. Last month, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that he is against use of Russian COVID-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V' due to Moscow's "propaganda factor”. 

Re: Ukraine Gets First Vaccine Shipment From India As Hospitals Struggle To Contain COVID-19

Re: Ukraine Sees Hospitals Overcrowded With COVID-19

(With inputs from Associated Press)