Key points
- Ukraine received 111,000 doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) for free vaccination of children according to the Calendar of preventive vaccinations.
- The vaccine is currently stored in the national warehouse and will be distributed among healthcare facilities in all regions of Ukraine.
- Vaccination is carried out with five doses of IPV – at 2, 4, 6, and 18 months and at 6 years.
- The vaccine was purchased under the cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi), with UNICEF ensuring the purchase and delivery.
- Polio mainly affects children under 5 years old, has no treatment, and can cause irreversible paralysis – the only protection against it is vaccination.
Ukraine received 111,000 doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) for free vaccination of children according to the Calendar of preventive vaccinations.
The vaccine was delivered under the cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi). A partnership agreement was signed at the end of 2024, under which Gavi finances part of the vaccines to support the national immunization program in accordance with the Immunoprophylaxis Development Strategy until 2030.
The purchase and delivery of vaccines are carried out by UNICEF, and the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health coordinates their distribution to regional centers for control and prevention of diseases.
Currently, the vaccines are stored in the national warehouse and will be distributed among healthcare facilities in all regions.
All vaccines purchased for Ukraine through UNICEF have undergone pre-qualification by the WHO, and their storage and transportation meet international standards.
Vaccination against polio is carried out with five doses of IPV – at 2, 4, 6, and 18 months of the child’s life and at 6 years. To vaccinate a child, you should contact a family doctor, pediatrician, or the nearest healthcare facility.
All vaccinations according to the Calendar are free. If a child missed a vaccination, the doctor will draw up an individual schedule for catching up.
Polio is easily transmitted from person to person and most often affects children under 5 years old. The virus affects the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis, and in the most severe cases – death.
There is no treatment for the disease, so a high level of vaccination coverage forms a collective immunity that restrains the spread of the virus.
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