u.s. to donate 1/10th of its H1N1 vaccine to ukraine

Kyiv Post | "In an effort to stop the global spread of pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, the United States is planning to donate 10 percent of US domestic H1N1 vaccine supply, as it becomes available, to a WHO-led H1N1 vaccine initiative. The US donation to WHO, equivalent to 25 million doses of vaccine, would be valued commercially at approximately $10 million," the embassy said in a statement.

As part of the first phase of this initiative, Ukraine is scheduled to receive 930, 000 doses of H1N1 vaccine in early December, the embassy said.

"Planning to complement this donation with a broad range of interventions to support the safe delivery and deployment of the vaccines, the US government will be working closely with the government of Ukraine in the days ahead to identify needs and agree on a package of immunization-related commodity and technical support that can be implemented rapidly to support H1N1 immunization," the statement reads.

Besides, the US government is prepared to make available immunization ancillary materials such as syringes, needles, and vaccine safety disposal boxes, to provide technical support for immunization planning as well as for logistics and assistance to transport the vaccine, to train vaccinators and other professionals, and to prepare communications materials in support of the immunization campaign.