In a desperate attempt to boost Ukraine’s vaccination drive, the Ministry of Health appealed to religious institutions to help out. The first to respond officially was the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which on 7 November opened its doors to a permanent vaccination station inside the walls of its Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.
Ukraine currently has the lowest vaccination rate in Europe and is facing record COVID-19 related mortality amid a wave of the delta variant spreading in the country. Roughly 20% have received two doses of a vaccine.
According to the latest survey, 43% of Ukrainians don’t want to take the jab (down from 56% in September).
A lockdown is currently in place, requiring proof of vaccination, a PCR test, or recent infection to access public transport or public venues. However, these regulations are rarely enforced. COVID-19 vaccination has been made mandatory for some professions, such as teachers, social workers, civil servants, workers of strategic enterprises. Recently, roughly 2,000 opponents of mandatory vaccination and lockdown rules held a protest in Kyiv.
Read also: