Over 122,900 doses of hepatitis B vaccine have been delivered to Ukraine, which will be used for free vaccination of children according to the national preventive vaccination calendar. The deliveries were made as part of the cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi), which partially funds the national immunisation support programme. The purchase and delivery of vaccines is coordinated by UNICEF, and the distribution of drugs to the regions is coordinated by the Public Health Centre of the Ministry of Health.
The vaccines have already been delivered to medical facilities throughout the country. Hepatitis B vaccination is included in the list of mandatory vaccinations under the national preventive vaccination calendar, which covers ten infectious diseases. Vaccinations are available free of charge from a doctor or paediatrician, who will also advise on the vaccination schedule.
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Hepatitis B is a dangerous viral disease that affects the liver and can lead to cirrhosis or cancer. It poses the greatest threat to infants, as in 90% of cases the infection becomes chronic. The only effective way to prevent the disease is vaccination: it protects more than 90% of vaccinated children from infection and complications.
Under the current schedule, children receive three doses of the vaccine — within 24 hours of birth, at two months and at six months. From 1 January 2026, Ukraine will switch to a new vaccination schedule — at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months. This will allow the use of combination vaccines against several infections at once, reducing the number of injections and visits to the doctor.
The Ministry of Health emphasises that even if a child has missed one of the vaccinations, the vaccination course does not need to be started from the beginning. It is enough to contact your family doctor, who will draw up an individual schedule and help you catch up on the missed doses.
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