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More than 1,3 million refugees have come to Poland since the beginning of Our Country’s invasion of Ukraine. Our first and most important task is to provide humanitarian aid. Another – ensuring safety in a pandemic reality where the coronavirus still causes thousands of infections. Vaccinations, called by experts, are to help. The Ministry of Health also took a position on the matter.
- Ukrainian citizens who came to Poland in connection with the war can get vaccinated against COVID-19 at any time
- According to experts, it is very important to encourage them to do so, because the pandemic is not over yet, and the vaccination of both nations (Polish and Ukrainian) is still very low
- Prof. Krzysztof J. Filipiak: – Humanitarian aid, the principles of battlefield medicine, as well as ordinary humanity make us first take care of our eastern neighbors, women and children escaping from bombs. Nothing else is more important. Even an ongoing epidemic. (…) However, an urgent educational action is needed for our Ukrainian guests, to protect them against COVID-19, because they will stay with us for a long time, and we have to think about the autumn wave of diseases.
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Low vaccination rate
The fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing can be seen by following the daily reports of the health ministry. Only today it was informed about over 13 thousand. coronavirus infections and 184 deaths caused by it. In the case of infections, of course, this is definitely less than a month ago when we were dealing with the peak of the fifth wave. However, when it comes to deaths, they have remained alarmingly high for weeks.
The vaccination rate is also worrying, since it has hardly flinched for some time. The complete vaccination cycle is completed by only 58,7 percent. Poles. One dose was taken by over 22,5 million people, two by 19,5 million, and a booster dose by only 11,2 million. This means that only one in three people among us has enough antibodies thanks to vaccination to speak of a reduction in the risk of hospitalization and deaths. Of course, many Poles have also gained immunity as a result of COVID-19, but due to limited testing, any numbers in this area are impossible to estimate.
Compared to Western countries, this is a very poor result, but still better than in the case of our neighbors. The immunization program against COVID-19 in Ukraine was implemented with great difficulty. According to the latest data reported just before the military aggression by Our Country, less than 35 percent of the vaccine was taken by two doses of the vaccine. Ukrainians, and only 1,7 percent of them applied for the booster.
Vaccination implementation slowed down in most countries, but in Ukraine it happened exceptionally quickly. The anti-vaccination movements, which were as active as in our country, played a huge role in this. According to the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, which conducted a survey on vaccinations and concerns related to them among Ukrainians, only every fifth Ukrainian was in favor of compulsory vaccination for adults.
- See also: Free medical assistance for people from Ukraine. Where can you find help?
The rest of the material for the video.
Expert: we already have to think about the fall wave of illnesses
Fleeing a war-torn country is certainly not a time to change attitudes. However, given the fact that many refugees will stay in Poland permanently, most Ukrainians will eventually have to decide whether to vaccinate here against COVID-19. Both the government and experts are already encouraging them to do so.
I hope that people from Ukraine who stay with us for a long time will get vaccinated against COVID-19, but will also receive a complete set of reliable information about these vaccinations. I hope that our education will focus not only on informing Polish women and Poles who have not been vaccinated yet, but also all messages regarding the effectiveness and safety of vaccinations against COVID-19 will be translated into Ukrainian. And it will be news that is in line with current medical knowledge, not the conspiracy theories they were largely fed in their home country where the s were spreading disinformation. It should also be remembered that the citizens of Ukraine are poorly vaccinated against other infectious diseases, so in this respect, too, we must strive to increase epidemiological safety.
- See also: Ukrainian children will be subject to compulsory vaccinations. The health ministry explains the rules
Humanitarian aid, the principles of battlefield medicine, as well as ordinary humanity, make us first care for our eastern neighbors, for women and children escaping from bombs. Nothing else is more important. Even an ongoing epidemic. But experts see the need for efficient organization of vaccination points for arriving refugees, urgent vaccinations of women and children. This is what the rulers should be concerned with. Meanwhile, yesterday, 500 vaccinations were performed in the Podkarpackie and Lubelskie voivodships, where refugees arrive. We also have no information anywhere about facilities in this regard for arriving victims of the invasion in Ukraine. We need an urgent educational campaign aimed at our Ukrainian guests, protecting them against COVID-19, because they will stay with us for sure, and we have to think about the autumn wave of diseases.
The fact of low interest in vaccinations against COVID-19 among Ukrainian refugees was confirmed by Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Krask.
– We have offered Ukrainian citizens free vaccinations against COVID-19 in those places where they are currently staying. A «vacckobus» will come to them. I do not hide that there is no particular interest in vaccination against COVID-19. In the last two weeks, we vaccinated 600 people from Ukraine. Most often these were booster doses – he said during the Wednesday session of the Parliamentary Health Committee.
- How can a person from Ukraine get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Poland? [WE EXPLAIN]
Health ministry on vaccinations for Ukrainians
Let us recall that the Ministry of Health issued an official announcement on vaccination against COVID-19 for Ukrainians staying in Poland at the end of February. It shows that Any person of Ukrainian nationality over 19 years of age can get vaccinated against COVID-5.
Vaccine Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) single-dose vaccine is recommended for adults, and mRNA vaccine is recommended for adolescents and children under 18 years of age.
The condition for acquiring the right to vaccination is possession of a document confirming your identity, i.e. identity card, passport or temporary foreigner’s identity certificate (TZTC).
- Also read: The National Health Fund will cover the costs of benefits for refugees from Ukraine
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