An analysis of COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Ukraine

What is it about?

Background The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is still an important problem of concern in Ukraine. The rapid deployment of the vaccination program is a key event for the formation of herd immunity and helps to prevent negative outcomes, overloading the public health system. Methods The object of the retrospective-archival study was a depersonalized database of open panels on the management of the COVID-19 situation from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Results The total number of COVID-19 cases in Ukraine as of 25 December 2022 amounted to 5 314 388 individuals (12.83% of the population), and COVID-19-related deaths reached 110 029 individuals (0.26% of the population). The overall number of COVID-19 vaccinated persons in Ukraine as of 16 January 2022, with one dose was 36 198 per 100 000 persons (36% of the population), and with two doses, it was 34 703 per 100 000 persons (35% of the population). It was shown a decrease in the number of COVID-19 vaccinated persons among men and persons over the age of 70. In the dynamics of COVID-19 vaccination with one and two doses, an increase in the number of persons vaccinated with Pfizer/BioNTech and CoronaVac was noted. Conclusions Despite the significant increase in the morbidity and mortality rates of COVID-19, the coverage of vaccination among the population remained insufficient in Ukraine. The effective COVID-19 vaccination strategy should include appropriate management and ensuring the public health system capacity, implementation of information technologies to address logistics issues, and clear communication strategies to maintain public trust.

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Why is it important?

Analyzing the data, it can be concluded that since the beginning of the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, Ukraine has been faced with solving several problems related to the procurement, receipt of vaccines and the establishment of communication within the country. Notwithstanding having signed contracts to supply COVID-19 vaccines and participating in the COVAX program, the majority of the doses were not received until April 2021,8 which did not allow the country to fully realize its potential at the desired pace of the campaign. At the beginning of the campaign, communication strategies were irregular, with disagreements between government officials and the infodemic increasing public concerns about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. However, changes in the narrative in the political space helped to effectively overcome the problems. Despite these challenges, efforts were made to address the issues and improve the vaccination strategy, as evident from various initiatives and programs introduced to enhance public trust, accessibility, and coverage of vaccination.

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