Illegal import of vaccine against COVID-19 in significant volumes is hardly possible due to strict control over its circulation, senior partner of ABSC Krzysztof Siedlecki believes.
“The demand for the vaccine is huge, the requirements for its logistics are very high. I have very great doubts about the possibility of smuggling the vaccine into Ukraine, although it cannot be ruled out,” he told Interfax-Ukraine, commenting on the statement of businessman Mykhailo Brodsky that a number of Ukrainian government officials, in particular some people’s deputies and top officials, were secretly vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer vaccine illegally imported to Ukraine from Israel.
He noted that the COVID-19 vaccine is not currently in free circulation.
“This is not a product that you can just call and order from Pfizer. It doesn’t work that way. It’s hard to even imagine that some distributor can illegally import the vaccine, because this vaccine requires special transportation conditions, a very low temperature – 70 degrees below zero, because at higher temperatures the vaccine is stored for only a few days. The possibility of smuggling this vaccine under such conditions is very small,” he said.
The expert stressed that due to the high demand for the COVID-19 vaccine, the distribution of these vaccines around the world is carried out under the strict control of state authorities. At the same time, he admitted that “the doctor can take several doses of the vaccine uncontrollably, but their validity is limited: if they are in the refrigerator, then the shelf life is several days.”
“I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it’s not easy. If we were talking about several hundred doses, then there would be a resonance. I don’t believe that Pfizer would have allowed such a leak,” he said.
Ukraine will receive the vaccine produced by the Sinovac Biotech Chinese company within 30 days after registration, Health Minister of Ukraine Maksym Stepanov said during a press briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.
“Due to the supply of the vaccine from Sinovac Biotech, we will receive 1.913 million doses of vaccine against coronavirus disease. During the first delivery, some 700,000 doses will arrive in Ukraine, we will receive them within 30 days after the vaccine is registered either in the manufacturing country or in other countries (the United States, UK, EU, Brazil, etc.),” he said.
“The company is to release the results of clinical trials in Brazil on January 7. It is stipulated that the vaccine must have an efficiency of at least 70%. Negotiations with the manufacturer have lasted since September 2020. The agreement was signed by the Lekhim Ukrainian pharmaceutical company,” the minister said.
According to Stepanov, the third phase of clinical trials was done in Brazil (13,060 patients), Indonesia (1,600 patients) and Turkey (1,325 patients). The efficiency in Indonesia was 97%, in Turkey it was 91%. The FDA recommends that COVID-19 vaccines should be more than 50% effective.
The minister said that all vaccines purchased for government funds will be free for all citizens of Ukraine.
In addition, the head of the Health Ministry said that the department is at the final stage of signing contracts with other vaccine manufacturing companies, and also intends to increase the number of vaccines that will be supplied to Ukraine as part of the COVAX initiative.
Minister of Health of Ukraine Maksym Stepanov has held talks with Executive Director for International and Government Affairs of AstraZeneca Alec van Gelder on the timing and logistics of deliveries of the COVID-19 vaccine to Ukraine.
“For several months, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine has been establishing active and effective communication with the head office of AstraZeneca. Today we have already discussed the logistics and delivery terms of vaccines against COVID-19 from AstraZeneca in Ukraine. Our state is completely ready to receive vaccines. A plan for vaccination of the population has been fully developed,” Stepanov said, the press service of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine reported on Facebook.
Alec van Gelder, in turn, noted readiness for active cooperation with Ukraine.
“We thank the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for consistency and openness. Now we will process options for the supply of vaccines in Ukraine in the near future,” he summed up.
It is noted that on December 30, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for use in the UK, vaccination will begin on Monday.
As reported, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine signed a contract for the supply of vaccines against COVID-19 produced by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech to Ukraine.
Ukraine is holding negotiations with China on the delivery of a coronavirus vaccine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
“[China says] that they stand ready to supply it. The Health Ministry has concrete information, and we are helping them now in order to facilitate certain contacts between representatives of the Health Ministry and representatives of the [vaccine] producer,” Kuleba told the Ukraine 24 TV channel on Thursday.
The Verkhovna Rada’s National Health Committee has recommended that parliament support a bill that makes it possible to shorten the approval period for clinical trials and registration of vaccines and drugs against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“The profile committee recommended the Verkhovna Rada to support bill No. 4314. It makes it possible to shorten the approval period for clinical trials and registration of vaccines and drugs against COVID-19,” the Servant of the People party said on Facebook on Wednesday, December 2.
According to the head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Public Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance Mykhailo Radutsky, the adoption of bill No. 4314 will reduce the burden on the healthcare system.
“Vaccination of a large number of patients will reduce the burden on the health care system of Ukraine,” Radutsky said.
“And thanks to the bill, this will become possible. After all, the involvement of Ukraine in clinical trials of vaccines would allow to vaccinate part of the population already now. Likewise, reducing the time for state registration of vaccines will speed up their full-scale use,” the Servant of the People said.
Ukraine expects to receive more than 8 million doses of the future vaccine against the coronavirus disease COVID-19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his vlog.
“The Ministry of Health has held a conversation with representatives of COVAX. This is an initiative for the global access of countries to the vaccine against coronavirus. A phased plan for the supply of the future vaccine in Ukraine has been determined. The first stage is 1.2 million doses. In general, Ukraine expects to receive more than 8 million doses of the future vaccine,” the head of state noted.
According to him, priority in vaccinations will be given to medical workers, military personnel, teachers, people at risk, in particular people over 60 years old.
“We are also increasing the number of daily tests, including free tests through mobile teams. We are working to ensure a sufficient number of beds and oxygen in each region, as well as strengthening control over compliance with quarantine measures,” Zelensky said.
