Search | UNICEF Europe and Central Asia

16 January 2022

What you need to know about COVID-19 vaccines

https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/what-you-need-know-about-covid-19-vaccines-0

Vaccines save millions of lives each year and a COVID-19 vaccine could save yours. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, providing strong protection against serious illness and death. WHO reports that unvaccinated people have at least 10 times higher risk of death from COVID-19 than someone who has been vaccinated. There is also evidence that being vaccinated can help prevent you from spreading the virus, so it protects people around you. It is important to be vaccinated as soon as it’s your turn, even if you already had COVID-19. Vaccines offer more reliable protection than natural immunity. Getting vaccinated is a safer way for you to develop immunity from COVID-19 than getting infected. The COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective, but no vaccine provides 100 per cent protection. Some people will still get ill from COVID-19 after vaccination or pass the virus onto someone else. Therefore, it is important to continue practicing safety precautions to protect yourself and others, including avoiding crowded spaces, physical distancing, hand washing and wearing a mask.

18 February 2022

Job aids on COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers

https://www.unicef.org/eca/job-aids-covid-19-vaccines-healthcare-workers

We have developed a set of job aids to help healthcare workers explain key facts about COVID-19 vaccines to their patients and have meaningful patient-centred conversations, boost vaccine confidence and support the patients in their decision-making process to get vaccinated against COVID-19. It primarily contains four sections: What does the…

UNICEF signs supply agreement for Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine

https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/unicef-signs-supply-agreement-sputnik-v-covid-19-vaccine

NEW YORK/COPENHAGEN, 27 May 2021 - UNICEF and Human Vaccine (Limited Liability Company), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), today announced a long-term agreement (LTA) for the supply of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. This is the fourth long-term supply agreement UNICEF has signed with a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer. So far this year, UNICEF has signed such agreements with the Serum Institute of India, Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Procurement by UNICEF under this agreement is conditional on the product achieving an Emergency Use Listing from WHO, to confirm the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine. In addition, an Advance Purchase Agreement (APA) with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, will also be needed for procurement to begin on behalf of the COVAX Facility. Should the COVAX Facility decide to enter into an advance purchase agreement for the supply of the Sputnik V vaccine, UNICEF will be ready to deliver as soon as regulatory milestones have been met. At this point, UNICEF through this LTA, stands ready to access up to 220 million doses of the vaccine available for supply in 2021, to meet country demand. The Sputnik V vaccine consists of two different components of the vaccine to be administered 21 days apart. An exact delivery schedule will be determined in collaboration with the manufacturer. UNICEF’s priority is to make sure that all countries have safe, fast and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccine and to help them prepare for the rollout of immunization. The best way to bring the pandemic under control is to ensure that safe and effective vaccines are made available as widely as possible and as quickly as possible, reducing inequity by ensuring that no country or territory is left behind due to its economic status. On 24 February 2021, COVID-19 vaccine vials are produced for the COVAX facility at a manufacturer in Pune, a city located in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. UNICEF/UN0421679?Singh

12 January 2022

What we know about the Omicron variant

https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/what-we-know-about-omicron-variant

WHO reports that early evidence suggests that previous infection could offer less protection against Omicron in comparison to other variants of concern, such as Delta. Information is still limited though and we will share updates as it becomes available. You should get vaccinated even if you’ve previously had COVID-19. While people who recover from COVID-19 may develop some natural immunity to the virus, we do not yet know how long it lasts or how well you are protected. Vaccines offer more reliable protection.

Ukraine’s elderly reunited with loved ones after vaccine

https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/ukraines-elderly-reunited-loved-ones-after-vaccine

The COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted people who live with disabilities. Anatolii Nesterenko is just 52, but lives in a nursing home after doctors were forced to amputate both his legs as a result of severe frostbite. Anatolii Nesterenko is just 52, but lives in a nursing home. Anatolii did not hesitate to get vaccinated. He believes it is a responsibility. “I do not want this infection to continue to poison everybody’s life,” he says. Anatolii’s neighbour, 47-year-old Bohdan Volynchuk, also uses a wheelchair after suffering a stroke in 2018. He dreams of learning how to walk again and knows the vaccine will protect him. “For this, I have to be vaccinated, among other things,” he says. “Lockdown has been very restrictive. Having immunity, I will be able to see people without fear. And, if I can restore the mobility of the body, I hope to move back to my home. Everything is fine here, but I want to have a life.”