17 December 2021, Friday, 19:12 222

Health Ministry Expands Compulsory Vaccination Requirement For Employees Of Health Care Institutions, Local Government Bodies And Public Utilities

Даша Зубкова

The Ministry of Health, by its order, has expanded the list of organizations whose representatives are subject to compulsory vaccination against COVID-19, to include employees of health care institutions, local governments and public utilities.

The Ministry has said this in a statement, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

According to the order of the Ministry, for the period of quarantine established by the Cabinet of Ministers, in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease, subject to mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 are employees of:

- central executive authorities and their territorial bodies;
- local state administrations and structural divisions;
- institutions of higher, postgraduate, professional advanced, professional (vocational and technical), general secondary, including special, preschool, extracurricular education, institutions of specialized education and organizations, regardless of the type and form of ownership;
- local government bodies;
- health care institutions of state and communal forms of ownership;
- utilities, institutions and organizations.
"Employees of local governments, health care institutions of state and communal forms of ownership, as well as utilities interact more with a large number of people, and therefore have an increased risk of contracting the coronavirus disease. Meanwhile, nine out of 10 hospitalized are unvaccinated and were not protected from the severe course of the coronavirus disease. This decision is necessary to protect the life and health of Ukrainians and their loved ones," said the Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko.
The order comes into force one month from the date of its publication.
Employees of the above institutions who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 during this period will be suspended from work without pay.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Ministry of Health has extended the mandatory vaccination requirement for employees of state enterprises and social workers since December 9.
Also, according to the order of the Ministry of Health of October 4, employees of executive authorities and educational institutions are subject to mandatory vaccination.