Ukraine receives 400,000 doses of Comirnaty/Pfizer vaccine as part of COVAX

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has delivered a further 400,000 doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty by Pfizer-BioNTech to Ukraine, within the framework of the COVAX Facility.

This batch of the Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine does not need to be diluted with saline. After thawing, the vaccine is ready for use.

Additionally, on 4 August, UNICEF also delivered 100,000 doses of the Janssen vaccine (Jcovden) as part of COVAX. The previous batch of 500,000 doses of the modernized vaccine Comirnaty from Pfizer-BioNTech was delivered to Ukraine on 23 July 2022.

"Together with international partners, we continue delivering COVID-19 vaccines to Ukraine,” said Ihor Kuzin, Deputy Minister of Health - Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine. “With the approach of the autumn-winter period, it is especially important to protect yourself from the coronavirus disease because, as the experience of past years shows, the incidence of the disease increases sharply at this time.”

Over the past week, more than 36,000 cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Ukraine. Only vaccination can protect from the risks of hospitalization and death due to the coronavirus disease.

The vaccine was distributed and delivered by the Ministry of Health in 23 regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv.

"Vaccination is a high priority in humanitarian emergencies and is one of the central parts of UNICEF's response aimed at protecting the health and well-being of children and their parents,”  said Murat Sahin, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine. “UNICEF continues helping Ukraine to ensure access to immunization and to keep the cold chain for vaccines.”

"The WHO continues supporting the Ukrainian health care system through the provision of vaccines under COVAX and has trained more than 30,000 health workers in the safe and effective use of COVID-19 vaccines, including the Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine,” said Dr. Jarno Habicht, the World Health Organization representative in Ukraine. “We urge everyone, especially the elderly, people with chronic diseases and people at risk, to get their primary vaccination and booster doses against COVID-19 and protect themselves and others in the autumn and winter period."

Since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has only received COVID-19 vaccines free of charge through the COVAX Facility, an international initiative to ensure access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines in all countries. Deliveries on behalf of the initiative will continue to protect as many people as possible in Ukraine from the disease.

All adults and children over the age of 12 can be vaccinated against COVID-19 in Ukraine.

The WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the European Union, the UK and USAID have all continued support to Ukraine on COVID-19 vaccination to maintain the country’s response to COVID-19, and further supplies will ensure more people receive protection. 

For reference

COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Vaccine Alliance Gavi, and the World Health Organization (WHO) – working in partnership with UNICEF as key implementing partner, as well as civil society organisations, vaccine manufacturers, governments of US, UK, European Union, World Bank, and others.