Laboratory control of Chinese vaccine Coronavac from COVID-19 may last until April 9, Deputy Minister of Health, Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Viktor Liashko said.

"The vaccine was transferred for laboratory control to the State Expert Center on March 19. The approximate date for the completion of laboratory control is April 9. If there are no comments on this vaccine, we are ready to deliver it on the same day when the laboratory control is completed, and start vaccination the next day," he said at a meeting of the parliamentary committee of the public health, medical assistance and medical insurance on Wednesday.

Liashko said that the State Expert Center started to carry out laboratory control of the Coronavac vaccine "over the weekend, and continues to do it."

"This vaccine was purchased not according to the procedures of international organizations, but through the state enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine, so it must undergo laboratory control," he said.

Liashko said that the Ministry of Health expects the delivery of the first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine under the COVAX mechanism, as well as 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine.

"I will tell you the exact date as soon as the vaccine is loaded onto the plane," he said.

Liashko said that in April the Ministry of Health expects the delivery of the rest of the batch of the Chinese vaccine Coronavac and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine (Covishield), "for which money has been paid."

In addition, Liashko said that on Tuesday the Ministry of Health received confirmation from the COVAX mechanism for the supply of Pfizer vaccine in the amount of 1.57 million doses, which will be delivered by the end of June "upon condition there will be no global disruptions."