Topic:
Country: Ukraine
Delegate Name: Jeb Cazer
World Health Organization
Vaccine Equity and Access
Ukraine
Joseph (Jeb) Cazer
Forest Hills Eastern
Vaccination is a highly effective health tool that can prevent infections and the spread of illnesses. Vaccines, like the one designed to combat COVID-19, have been encouraged for all to use. However many of those who desperately need to access these life saving vaccines have not been able to. Even some who are able to access these vaccines actively refuse to do so due to stigma about what’s inside of a vaccine and scepticism over governments putting unfamiliar objects into their bodies.
Ukraine has suffered much from the COVID-19 pandemic. With 80,000 COVID deaths, and 3,000,000 reported cases, the pandemic has certainly taken its toll on the people, economy, and overall well being. Ukraine is in desperate need of aid in terms of vaccines. The Ukrainian government has taken the pandemic very seriously. Enforcing lockdown until at least december 31st, masks mandatory in public places, and fines if citizens do not comply with the rules. The Ukrainian government has approved the use of the AstraZeneca, Sinovac Biotech, and Pfizer vaccines in Ukraine, yet so far only about 23% of ukraines population has been fully vaccinated thus far. This is well below the desired result this far into the pandemic. It is very hard for Ukranians, many of which are lower income to find access to the vaccine. One reason that COVID has been so hard on Ukraine is that mostly only the wealthy are getting access to the vaccines that are coming in. Many of Ukraines poorest people are living in densely populated urban areas, in which the risk of transmitting COVID-19 is very high, as well as the risk of becoming very ill from it. Many other poor Ukrainians are farmers living in rural areas far from close vaccination spots. The people who live here may be especially sceptical of the vaccine as they aren’t as closely tied to all of the news around it.
What Ukraine wants the United Nations and specifically the World Health Organization to do is to. Ukraine needs a heavy supply of COVID-19 Vaccines, in order to be able to get it every citizen, regardless of race, class, or ethnicity.
