"I got vaccinated so I could see my granddaughter." UNICEF has launched a national campaign in support of vaccination

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine, together with the Ministry of Health and partners, has launched a national campaign called "Protected". The campaign showcases the advantages of COVID-19 vaccination through the stories of Ukrainians who have already been vaccinated to protect themselves and their families.

The campaign aims to demonstrate through personal stories the importance of being vaccinated, and to motivate others to protect themselves from COVID-19. The heroes who will soon be seen across the country are pensioners, doctors, teachers, social workers, people with related illnesses, religious leaders and workers in critical infrastructure.

Each of them has been vaccinated for different reasons, but now they are all protected and ready to show others through their personal stories that vaccination against COVID-19 is safe, effective and enables a return to normal life. “I was vaccinated to see my granddaughter", "I was vaccinated because I want to travel again”, “I was vaccinated because this is the only way out for people suffering from diabetes”, — each of them shows the importance of vaccination from personal experience.

Soon, outdoor advertising sites in various cities and on social networks will display the faces of the heroes, with their quotes on what has motivated them to get vaccinated. Their stories can be read in a special series of The Ukrainians, as well as heard on the radio.

"Today, some people are hesitating about which vaccine to choose, and I think it makes no difference: any of the available approved vaccines would be good just to get back to normal life," said Nataliia Likhosherstova, the campaign's heroine and a doctor from the town of Kosiv in Ivano-Frankivsk region.

Vaccination against COVID-19 is underway in Ukraine. Currently, priority groups of are being vaccinated, including doctors, social and educational workers, low-mobility groups, people over 60, etc. You can sign up for a vaccination with your family doctor or at the nearest vaccination point. If you do not belong to the priority groups, you can sign up to the waiting list at the nearest mass vaccination centre through the website, the Diia mobile application, or the Ministry of Health contact centre: 0-800-60-20-19. Details can be found at vaccination.covid19.gov.ua.

The “Protected” Campaign is a continuation of the last year's “Thank You” Solidarity Campaign , which won the European Excellence Awards 2020 and was designed to overcome discrimination against health professionals, people who contracted COVID-19, and workers at the forefront of various social spheres.

The campaign is being implemented with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank. The creative concept was developed by Vandog agency.