Which COVID-19 Vaccines Are Available in Ukraine Today and How They Differ

AstraZeneca, CoronaVac from Sinovac, Comirnaty from Pfizer.

As of today, three vaccines are available for general use in Ukraine: AstraZeneca, CoronaVac from Sinovac, and Comirnaty from Pfizer.

According to the interactive map of the National Security and Defense Council, these vaccines are available in all regions of Ukraine, but their distribution is uneven: in some regions there are more AstraZeneca, while in others there is more CoronaVac.

Pfizer's vaccine is usually the least available, but there are exceptions. For example, in Kharkiv Region this vaccine is the most abundant, with more than 25,000 doses as of October 19. That accounts for 90% of all vaccines in the region. Let's take a closer look at each of the vaccines available in Ukraine. 

AstraZeneca

The vaccine was developed by the Swedish-British company AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. It is a viral vector vaccine, a long-known technology in which a specific protein of the coronavirus is inserted into a harmless virus (in this case, a modified adenovirus). 

This way, the human immune system learns to recognize the disease and defend itself when it encounters the real virus. Depending on the manufacturer, the vaccine may be sold under different brand names: produced in the EU as Vaxzevria, in South Korea as AstraZeneca-SKBio, and in India as Covishield. 

A full course of AstraZeneca vaccination consists of two doses, which should be received 4-12 weeks apart. Tens of millions of people around the world have already been vaccinated with this drug. 

According to the latest research, two doses of AstraZeneca protect against severe illness and hospitalization with an efficacy of 92% against the Delta strain and 86% against the Alpha strain. In addition, the drug reduces the risk of catching the coronavirus by 80% and almost halves the risk of infecting others. 

The vaccine is approved by the WHO, the EU, Canada, India and many other countries for emergency use. It is used for all people over 18. It is worth noting that some EU countries allow entry only to people vaccinated with the Vaxzevria brand. 

CoronaVac from Sinovac

The vaccine was developed by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech. It was made using a technology that has been around for more than 70 years. It is an inactivated vaccine containing an inactive, “killed” virus. The polio vaccine works on the same principle. 

A full vaccination course involves two doses of the drug given 14-28 days apart. 

According to the latest research, the vaccine protects against coronavirus infection by 65.9%, and its effectiveness in preventing hospitalization and death from the disease exceeds 85%. 

CoronaVac is approved by the WHO for emergency use and is used in 40 countries around the world. However, not all European countries recognize this vaccine, so it is essential to carefully check entry requirements before traveling. 

Comirnaty from Pfizer

The American-German vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech was developed using an innovative method. It is an mRNA vaccine, meaning it is based on messenger ribonucleic acid, which mimics the coronavirus spike protein and teaches the body to fight the real virus. 

The Ukrainian Ministry of Health said: “mRNA vaccines are safe and cannot alter human DNA. Soon after human cells finish following the instructions, they break down and get rid of the mRNA. mRNA vaccines do not contain a live or inactivated virus.” 

The Ministry of Health primarily recommends this drug for pregnant women and older people. A full vaccination course consists of two doses given 21-28 days apart. 

Studies show that the drug's effectiveness against the “wild” strain of coronavirus, first detected in Wuhan, is 95%. Effectiveness against the Alpha strain is 93.7%, and against Delta, 88%. 

The WHO allows this vaccine to be used for people aged 12 and older. It is used in more than 100 countries around the world. It is fully approved in the EU, the US, the UK and Canada.