Coronavirus: Eastern Europe scrambles for unwanted AstraZeneca jabs amid infection surge

Ukraine, which is leading the charge, has so far received fewer than 1 million of the 32 million vaccine doses it had ordered

Eastern Europe has been an epicentre for Covid-19 deaths and infections in recent weeks – leaving the region desperate for vaccines

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A health care worker displays a vial of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine at a medical practice in Britain. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:00pm, 18 Apr 2021Updated: 3:16pm, 18 Apr 2021

As safety concerns prompt western European countries to limit the use of AstraZeneca Plc’s coronavirus shot, Ukraine is leading a charge from the continent’s east to scoop up unwanted doses.

The government in Kiev, which has struggled to secure vaccine supplies, says it’s been talking to the European Union about potential purchases for months. With Denmark banning the use of the AstraZeneca jab altogether this week, the Czech Republic, Latvia and Lithuania have joined the pursuit.

Eastern Europe has been one of the global epicentres for Covid-19 deaths and infections in recent weeks – leaving the region desperate for more vaccine doses. The inoculation programme in Ukraine is among Europe’s slowest, making people there more inclined to look past worries over blood clots and accept the AstraZeneca jab.

An athlete receives a dose of Covid-19 vaccine at a hospital in Kiev on April 15. Photo: Xinhua

“Nobody’s going to refuse a vaccine,” Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said this week in an interview in his office. “The benefits from all approved vaccines far outweigh the risk of side effects.”

While Ukraine has signed contracts for 32 million doses, less than a million shots have arrived so far – from AstraZeneca and China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. With Astra deliveries delayed as infections soar in India, where the producer is located, Ukraine has vaccinated just 433,000 of its 42 million population.

Russia’s Sputnik V jab, which is being used by EU member Hungary, has been rejected, with tensions between the governments in Kiev and Moscow flaring again recently.