The quite effective vaccine AstraZeneca is now available in Ukraine for vaccination. Its use in Canada, Great Britain and Poland testifies to its effectiveness of more than 75%, especially with the coronavirus strain that predominates in our country.

Vaccination of participants in the educational process will attain the herd immunity that will back to normal the traditional and effective educational process with the full-fledged practical training, multidisciplinary team meeting with the review of the complex clinical cases, classes with the real-time communication between the participant and lecturer that are so long-awaited.

During the past month, the department conducts explanatory work among the participants of the educational process about the need for vaccination. Like any virus, COVID-19 is constantly in the process of mutation, because there is a basis: more infections – more mutations. A change in the genome leads to the acquisition of new characteristics by the virus, so it is vaccination that can stop the process of adaptation of the virus to the implemented quarantine measures. The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, currently used in Ukraine, is produced at the Indian Serum Institute under the Covishield brand, which is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer with the production of more than 50 million doses per month. 

Covishield is a weakened version of a common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees, with a broad spectrum of impact that stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies against any coronavirus infection. Undoubtedly, as with any vaccine, Covishield has contraindications, side effects, but they should not impact the decision whether to be vaccinated. Everyone must make a conscious decision for themselves.

According to the plan, on March 19, 2021 vaccination with Covishield vaccination was performed on about 100 employees of the Kyiv City Clinical Oncology Center, employees of the Oncology Department of the Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine, who according to the Order № 698, P-2 of the Ministry of Health – did not stop providing cancer treatment during the pandemic. 

Among the first vaccinated was Oleksandr Klyusov, Director of the Kyiv City Clinical Oncology Center, and Professor Prokip Hordiichuk, Head of the Oncology Department. The vaccination procedure was organized according to the quarantine requirements. Each unit had its time with the person in charge, who was constantly available for the organizer. After examination by specialists, the vaccination was done with the next 30 minutes observation. The anesthesiology and allergology teams were on duty at the vaccination point. During the observation period, no complications were recorded among the vaccinated. 

Professor Prokip Hordiichuk, after the observation period, actively worked for another four hours in the operating room, so a day later we inquired about his condition after vaccination. As said by the professor: “The impression is that after any vaccination I have had during my life, it is much better than it was after the tick-borne encephalitis vaccine. There were no local manifestations at the injection site, about 12 hours after vaccination there was a minor headache, tachycardia up to 100 beats, muscle, joint pain. It should be noted that these side effects decreased significantly with physical or mental activity and not required additional treatment. After 24 hours, all the symptoms disappeared on their own, so I advise everyone who has an indication to be vaccinated to jointly achieve the herd immunity”.