Vaccinations in Ukraine: an immunologist tells whether there are enough vaccines and what else should be on the calendar
Kyiv • UNN
Ukraine is fully provided with vaccines for 2025 thanks to the support of GAVI. Experts note that the country is lagging behind in terms of including new vaccines in the vaccination schedule, in particular against pneumococcal and rotavirus infections.
Ukrainian doctors are fully equipped with everything they need for 2025 to vaccinate the population according to the approved schedule, said Fedir Lapiy , head of the National Technical Group of Experts on Immunization , to a UNN correspondent.
According to him, Ukrainians should not worry that there may be a shortage of vaccines. Our country has enlisted the support of GAVI (the International Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization). The agreement was confirmed at the end of last year. This will allow us not to spend a single penny from our budget on the purchase of vaccines, and will also allow us to receive them in full on time and without interruption.
However, according to the doctor, Ukraine lags far behind other countries in terms of including new vaccines in the vaccination schedule. In particular, this applies to pneumococcal, rotavirus, meningococcal infections and chickenpox.
We now cover ten infectious diseases. In 2026, we hope that the eleventh disease caused by the human papillomavirus will be covered. We have fallen behind because there is no vaccine against pneumococcal infection, rotavirus infection in the vaccination calendar, which I would like to see, because our children are no worse than children in Germany or children in Africa. We have infections caused by these pathogens. And, of course, we can consider a vaccine against meningococcal infection, against chickenpox. But again, there must be a commitment, you need to understand whether we are financially able to do this, whether we are supported by the government, MPs
However, Mr. Lapiy added that it is not necessary to put everything on the state itself, as it is often the distributors who are to blame.
Here, the only function of the state is to create the rules by which the vaccine is imported into Ukraine, the rules by which it is registered in Ukraine. Then, after it is imported into Ukraine, the distributor gives permission to use it. If we talk about the chickenpox vaccine, this is a question for the distributor.
The Ministry is working on this. Therefore, doctors assure that all the shortcomings of vaccination should be eliminated in the near future.
