UNICEF delivers new batch of Pfizer vaccine to Ukraine: 473,850 doses under COVAX

Today, UNICEF delivered 117,000 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to Ukraine as part of a new delivery under the COVAX Global Initiative. 

In total, during this and at the beginning of next week, Ukraine will receive 473,850 doses of Pfizer vaccine - free of charge under COVAX.

The COVAX initiative is the result of the unprecedented solidarity of the international community to ensure equal access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries. Deliveries continue and by the end of 2021, as part of the initiative, Ukraine should receive enough vaccines from various manufacturers to protect up to 20% of the population from COVID.

Ukraine receives all vaccines under COVAX free of charge. On behalf of COVAX, UNICEF purchases and supplies only those COVID-19 vaccines that meet the WHO safety and efficiency criteria.

“UNICEF is grateful to the partners and donors who help make COVID-19 vaccination more affordable in Ukraine. Due to the support of colleagues from WHO, the governments of the United States, the EU, the United Kingdom, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank and other donors, more and more people in Ukraine are receiving protection from such a dangerous infection as COVID-19. We thank to the medical workers of Ukraine who tirelessly fight for the lives of patients, and we hope that vaccination will help relieve the medical system - it will save you and your patients from severe illness, complications, hospitalization, the need for oxygen support or death. Please get vaccinated yourself and encourage patients, friends and relatives to do it as soon as possible - it saves lives”, said Lotta Sylwander, head of the UNICEF representative office in Ukraine.

“Ensuring equal access to vaccines requires extraordinary measures and global cooperation, and we are grateful to all those who support COVAX and who made it possible to distribute COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX mechanism. The more vaccines are delivered to Ukraine through the COVAX mechanism, the more people of priority groups we can reach, and the faster we can protect people from serious illness or death from COVID-19. Together with the full new delivery, the total number of vaccines received through COVAX will be 2,137,500 doses (Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca). It is good that vaccination in Ukraine is gaining momentum, and vaccines really save lives, but vaccination itself is not a guarantee against the transmission of COVID-19 to others. Therefore, please continue to wear masks, keep a physical distance and avoid crowds, especially during the summer holidays”, said Dr. Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Office in Ukraine.

Earlier, as part of COVAX, Ukraine received 590,850 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 1,072,800 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine.

The COVAX initiative aims to ensure fair and equal access to COVID-19 vaccines for every country in the world. COVAX's work is coordinated by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), WHO, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), while UNICEF works with manufacturers and partners on the procurement and logistics of COVID-19 vaccines.