Ukraine Secures 12 Million Doses Of Coronavirus Vaccine

Kiev, Feb 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Feb, 2021 ) :The ex-Soviet republic of Ukraine is set to receive 12 millions doses of coronavirus vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Novavax, the president's office announced on Friday.

One of the poorest country's in Europe, its president Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier faced criticism at home for failing to source Western-made jabs.

Ukraine's health minster Maxim Stepanov said that "an agreement had been reached on the supply of vaccines" developed by British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and the US firm Novavax The vaccines will be produced at the Serum Institute in India, the world's largest vaccine maker.

Stepanov added that the first deliveries were expected this month.

"Twelve million doses is a good signal from our partners and this will be enough to ensure vaccination within the first months after the start of the deliveries," Zelnesky said as quoted by his office.

Last month Zelensky called on the European Union to help Ukraine source vaccines as the country found itself at the back of Europe's vaccine queue.

Ukraine is also awaiting delivery of eight million doses promised under the United Nations Covax programme and up to five million doses of the Chinese CoronaVac jab.

Ukraine is yet to register its own vaccine and has rejected calls from pro-Moscow politician to approve Russia's homemade Sputnik V.

Meanwhile Sputnik has been rolled out in the breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine that are controlled by Kremlin-backed separatists.

The country of 40 million people with a run-down health system, has recorded over 1.2 million cases and more than 23,000 deaths.

Yet according to a recent poll, more than half of Ukrainians say they are not ready be inoculated.