Ukraine: closing immunization gaps

Vaccines save lives. They’re especially important in times of crises, when immunization programmes may be disrupted and people’s access to vaccination centres becomes compromised. Ukraine is a case in point – a country whose health system has been under severe strain since the invasion by the Russian Federation in 2022.

As part of the immunization advocacy project “Operation Vaccination” run by the Ministry of Health and WHO, an interactive exhibition has attracted more than 35 000 people since 2024.

Designed to teach visitors about the proven effectiveness of vaccines and the importance of adhering to the National Vaccination Schedule, the initiative has expanded, with events taking place in 10 regions in the past few months. Shopping malls, research libraries, contemporary art centres and children’s creativity centres hosted similar live events, organized by regional centres for disease control and prevention.

Medical professionals and vaccination teams were always on hand to advise on ways to adjust the schedule for missed vaccinations. As a result, almost 5% of participants caught up on vaccines against measles, poliomyelitis, tetanus, diphtheria or COVID-19 at onsite mobile immunization stations. This became a powerful indicator of the project’s real impact.

In April 2025, “Operation Vaccination” returned to Kyiv to become the core event marking European Immunization Week. In addition, the National Museum of Medicine of Ukraine hosted an interactive exhibition to demonstrate the achievements of vaccination.

Building on success

“Operation Vaccination” offers a unique, family-friendly experience blending education and entertainment.

The initiative began in 2024 as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization. The idea was to give Ukrainians a live event during which WHO and the Ministry of Health could talk about vaccine-preventable diseases, the importance of routine immunization and the heroes of vaccine history.

“In times of crisis, raising awareness about the power of vaccines is more important than ever. Supporting initiatives that promote vaccine acceptance helps to protect lives, build trust and strengthen the resilience of the health system when most needed,” said Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine.