COVID certificate validity to be shortened, and “Zelensky's thousand” to be paid to teenagers

Vaccine against the Omicron strain will be ready in March.

Ukraine will join the global network of COVID certificates, and the validity of vaccination certificates against the coronavirus will be shortened to nine months. 

Maria Karchevych
deputy health minister for digital transformation

A global network is being formed at the national level, which will cover an even larger number of countries — more than 80 countries worldwide, not only EU countries. Today, the European Union's trusted network covers only 60 countries: Ukrainians can travel to 60 countries by presenting digital Covid certificates of vaccination, recovery, or PCR test results. Ukraine has already sent a request to join the global network. Technical consultations are currently underway — I think that in a few months we will be able to say that Ukraine allows travel to a large number of countries. 

According to her, in December 2021 the European Commission shortened the validity of vaccination certificates. The decision has already taken effect — in EU countries, certificates are valid for 270 days. 

“We are preparing the same decision at the level of Ukrainian legislation. It will be adopted approximately this week. That is, the validity of Covid certificates will be shortened: no longer one year, but 270 days,” Karchevych said. 

The booster shot certificate will also be valid for 270 days and can be obtained starting at the end of January. The certificate will indicate the third dose and the type of vaccine. A separate certificate for an additional vaccine dose is not provided. 

An additional vaccine dose is offered to people whose protection against the coronavirus did not develop after two doses due to illnesses and medications (people with blood cancer, HIV, transplanted organs), while a booster dose is a third dose for those whose protection from two doses has expired (6–9 months). 

“Zelensky's thousand” for teenagers

President Volodymyr Zelensky tasked the Cabinet of Ministers with preparing a separate program to pay 1,000 UAH to Ukrainians aged 12–18 who have completed a full course of coronavirus vaccination. 

The money should be paid under the “eSupport” program. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that more than 6.7 million Ukrainians have already applied for the 1,000 UAH aid. 6 billion UAH has already been transferred to Ukrainians' accounts. 

A procedure is also being developed for introducing a “medicines” category for fully vaccinated people over 60. 

Shmyhal noted that currently 14.8 million people in Ukraine have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, of whom 13.98 million received two doses. 

Vaccine Against the Omicron Strain

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that a vaccine against the Omicron strain of the coronavirus will be ready in March. 

According to him, the goal is to create a vaccine that prevents Omicron infection much better. “This vaccine will be ready in March. We are starting to produce some of it at our own risk,” Bourla said.

He noted that the vaccine will also target other circulating strains. According to the Pfizer CEO, it is still unclear whether such a vaccine is needed and how it will be used, but Pfizer will have ready doses, since some countries want it to be available as soon as possible. 

Albert Bourla
CEO of Pfizer

We hope to create something that provides better protection, especially against infection, because protection against hospitalizations and severe diseases already exists now, with current vaccines. 

It is unclear whether a fourth dose is needed. The company will conduct experiments to determine whether another dose is needed.