The proverb that “one must wait three years for what he promises” has received another confirmation
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal promised during a speech at the Verkhovna Rada that “the first batch of 8 million doses of vaccine for 4 million Ukrainians under the initiative COVAX is expected in March. The funds for the purchase of the vaccine have been allocated in the state budget. The Minister of Health of Ukraine Maksym Stepanov earlier made a similar statement about obtaining a free vaccine from COVID-19 in the “testing mode”.
In fact it turns out quite differently.
The 8 million doses of vaccine are enough to vaccinate 4 million people, but this amount of vaccine will be delivered in small batches. In reality, according to Bloomberg, it turns out that so far Ukraine has applied for delivery of vaccines for 2.1 million people, which is not 8 million, but 4 million doses.
After the US Embassy in Kiev banned the use of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, a tambourine dance began. Ukraine did make a preliminary application for a coronavirus vaccine to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), which oversees COVAX. But it’s a long way from wishful thinking to implementation. Now Ukraine has to provide GAVI with all the information on the possibility of storing the vaccine, the availability of cold storage facilities, and the system of medical institutions that will carry out the vaccination.
Igor Kuzin, Acting Director General of the Public Health Centre of the Ministry of Health announced, “The state has no right to influence the vaccine that will be distributed under the COVAX mechanism. Consequently, we will have to wait for what will be given, and you can’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Under COVAX, there are plans to distribute three vaccines that are still in the clinical trial phase. Their efficacy and safety have not yet been proven, and it is not known exactly when the trials will be completed. Vaccines produced by the British-Swedish company AstraZeneca, the French-British company Sanofi-GSK and the Chinese UBI/UBIA Group are planned to be supplied free of charge. COVAX plans to supply free vaccines to the world’s poorest countries per 5% of the population. Ukraine finds itself on a par with African countries. It has also been revealed that the humanitarian vaccine from COVAX will have to wait until at least 2022. This forecast was published by The Economist.
In addition to free vaccines, the 2021 budget has 2.6 billion UAH (about $93 million) to buy them. The head of the Ministry of Health said that the vaccine will be bought from those who will sell it, but it is still very vague. The Pfizer vaccine will cost at least $19 for two doses, and Moderna – $65-70. The vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech requires extremely low temperatures (minus 70 degrees Celsius) for transportation and storage. Such conditions do not exist in Ukraine. And for $93 million they will be able to buy only 1.4 million doses of vaccine Moderna for 700 thousand patients.
Interestingly, the Pfizer executives refused to vaccinate with their own vaccine, citing the need to “hold the line”.
Due to problems with the production of Moderna vaccine 400 thousand doses of the drug were discarded, but the company continues to manufacture it. AstraZeneca also had several serious adverse reactions when it tested the vaccine. In addition, the vaccine has been shown to be less effective in older patients.
Mass vaccination began in Russia on December 5, with plans to vaccinate 50% of the population within 6 to 9 months. The Russian vaccine has already been received by Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Hungary and other countries. A total of 27 countries have expressed a desire to receive Sputnik V. Its production is going to start in Brazil, India and even in Germany.
As of today, mass vaccination of the population, apart from Russia, has been conducted in Great Britain, the USA, Canada and China. Vaccination will begin in all EU countries in the coming days. And Ukraine has frozen in anticipation of a Western vaccine, rejecting the Russian one.
During the visit of Viktor Medvedchuk, leader of the Opposition Platform – For Life party, to Moscow and his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the production of the Sputnik V vaccine at the Kharkiv plant Biolik was discussed. However, Ukrainian nationalists saw this as a “zrada”.
The citizens of Ukraine do not understand why they have to die and wait for an incomprehensible COVAX vaccine when they can already start vaccinating with the Russian one today.
President Zelensky had to admit in an interview with The New York Times that “we are not on the list of countries that get the vaccine first… Of course, to explain to Ukrainian society why, if America and Europe don’t give you the vaccine, you shouldn’t take it from Russia – to any person who is dying, it is impossible to explain. But immediately he said that “Ukraine will fight for our partners to give us a vaccine that is confirmed – Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca. When will it happen and will the government be able to scrape together the money for these drugs?”
Stoyan Timian