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Ukraine lawmakers fire health minister over vaccine rollout

May 18, 2021

Ukraine has fired its third health minister since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Maksym Stepanov was dismissed in a vote by lawmakers, who also fired the economy and infrastructure ministers.

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Ukraine Kiew Gesundheitsminister Maksym Stepanov
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot

Ukraine fired its third health since the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemicon Tuesday after MPs blamed him for failing to secure enough life-saving vaccines.

Lawmakers decided to dismiss Maksym Stepanov in a 292-1 vote.

The country has struggled to keep up with other European countries in its vaccination drive. 

During the same legislative session on Tuesday, the resignations of Infrastructure Minister Vladislav Krikli and Economy Minister Igor Petrashko were also accepted.

PM fumes over slow rollout

According to Our World in Data, just 2.2 percent of the Ukrainian adult population has received one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk receives a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccin
Ukraine has one of the slowest rollouts in EuropeImage: Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo/picture alliance

"The main task that the minister faced for 2021 was vaccination and the provision of Ukraine with a sufficient amount of vaccines in the first half of this year. Progress on this issue is very slow," Prime Minister Denys Shmygal told parliament. 

COVID-19: Self-help in Ukraine

Ukraine has registered more than 2 million infections and 48,469 deaths since the start of the pandemic last year. 

Parliament, which votes to appoint ministers, might consider Stepanov's replacement on Thursday.

Ukraine and its vaccine shortage

The country currently uses three types of jabs to inoculate its citizens. AstraZeneca, Pfizer and China's Sinopharm.

Lithuania has offered Kyiv 100,000 doses in what Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Friday described as a move "to demonstrate Lithuanian solidarity" and "share life-saving vaccines with our eastern partners."

Lithuania is one of Ukraine's closest EU allies, regularly adopting hawkish positions on Russia and its annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

jf/msh (AFP, Reuters)