500 thousand doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from the Danish Government arrived in Ukraine

Today, 509,400 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine provided by Denmark have arrived in Ukraine.

This delivery is direct assistance to Ukraine from the Danish Government, which plans to transfer 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to different countries by the end of 2021.

“We have set an ambitious goal — to protect as many Ukrainians as possible from COVID-19 by the end of this year. The campaign's infrastructure is also growing, with more than 350 mass vaccination centers already operating and almost all available vaccination centers operating. We are constantly increasing the pace of vaccination so that everyone has access to it. We are grateful to the Government of Denmark for its direct assistance in the delivery of the vaccine and cooperation. I urge Ukrainians who have not yet been vaccinated not to delay and visit the nearest mass vaccination center to protect their health”, said Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko.

The vaccine from this delivery is planned to be used to vaccinate those who should receive a second dose of AstraZeneca, the rest is to distribute between vaccination points.

In turn, Danish Ambassador to Ukraine Ole Egberg Mikkelsen said: “Denmark and Ukraine are close partners, including in the fight against the pandemic. The delivery of these 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine is very timely, as it is extremely important to vaccinate as many people as possible before the autumn. I am grateful to UNICEF and the government of Ukraine for their cooperation, as well as many thanks to the medical workers who continue to save lives throughout the countries on a daily basis”.

International transportation of the vaccine from the Danish Serum Institute to Kyiv was provided by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

“This is another great example of international solidarity, when countries with better access to COVID-19 vaccines provide their doses to those who need them in a global emergency. We are grateful to the Danish government for choosing to support Ukraine by providing safe and effective vaccines that will protect more people from the tragic consequences of COVID-19. With the help of partners, UNICEF will continue to support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine, including through the delivery of vaccines. In anticipation of a new wave of COVID-19, it is very important to ensure access to life-saving vaccines for as many people as possible, especially those who belong to risk groups”, said Michaela Bauer, deputy head of the UNICEF office in Ukraine.

Since immunization takes place in the context of a pandemic, it is extremely important that infection control rules are carefully observed in vaccination centers and points: proper distancing, ventilation and mask mode. People should not be allowed to become infected in the queue or within 30 minutes of waiting after vaccination, while they are under the supervision of medical workers.