According to the Ministry of Health, unvaccinated patients are five times more likely to be hospitalized and nine times more likely to die of Covid-19 complications than fully vaccinated people.
These statistics are based on data the ministry collected from August to October 2021, Deputy Health Minister Ihor Kuzin said at a press briefing on Dec. 14. He urged unvaccinated people to take heed and get the jab for the sake of themselves and others.
"It is now everyone's responsibility to protect themselves and their families by getting vaccinated against Covid-19," Kuzin said.
Other countries have also recorded markedly higher mortality rates for unvaccinated people. In the U.S., for example, unvaccinated people died from Covid-19 complications at six times the rate of vaccinated people between August and October. In the U.K., the mortality rate for the unvaccinated was five times higher in the same period.
According to the health ministry, a total of 32.6% of Ukrainians have now received both doses required for immunization as of Dec. 13.
The low rate stem in part from the high levels of vaccine skepticism in the country. According to a UNICEF study published on Nov. 5, around 54.6% of unvaccinated Ukrainians said they would refuse the jab. Misinformation about the disease and vaccines is widespread on social media, as are schemes selling fake vaccination certificates.
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