Wide resistance to vaccines plagues Ukraine's COVID-19 fight

Medical workers pack a thermal bag with AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine marketed under the name CoviShield to deliver it to the other hospital in the mining town of Selydove, 700 kilometers (420 miles) east of Kyiv, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Ukraine received its first shipment of vaccine 500,000 AstraZeneca doses in late February. Yet, only about 19,000 people have been vaccinated since then. Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Olena Marchenko, head of a mobile vaccination unit, receives a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine marketed under the name CoviShield at a hospital in the mining town of Selydove, 700 kilometers (420 miles) east of Kyiv, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, March 4, 2021. "Such a low number of vaccinated people is associated with low confidence in the vaccine that has entered Ukraine," Olena Marchenko said of the AstraZeneca vaccine that was manufactured in India. Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Olena Obyedko, 26-year-old nurse, wears protective clothing against coronavirus in the hospital for COVID-19 patients in the mining town of Selydove, 700 kilometers (420 miles) east of Kyiv, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Obyedko works in the hospital's intensive-care ward for COVID-19 patients, where people die every week. But, she said, "I decided not to get vaccinated. I doubt the quality of the vaccine. I'm afraid there will be side effects." Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian serviceman changes his position near the line of contact near Vodiane, about 750 kilometers (468 miles) south-east of Kyiv, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, March 5, 2021. The country designated 14,000 doses of its first vaccine shipment for the military, especially those fighting Russia-backed separatists in the east. Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian serviceman speaks on a on the walkie-talkie as military medics arrive at a military base to vaccinate troops near the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, eastern Ukraine, Friday, March 5, 2021. The country designated 14,000 doses of its first vaccine shipment for the military, especially those fighting Russia-backed separatists in the east. But only 1,030 troops have been vaccinated thus far. In the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, soldiers widely refuse to vaccinate. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Medical workers carry thermal bags with AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine marketed under the name CoviShield to deliver to the other hospital in the mining town of Selydove, 700 kilometers (420 miles) east of Kyiv, to drive to other several remote villages in eastern Ukraine, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian serviceman prepares to receive a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine marketed under the name CoviShield at a military base near the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, eastern Ukraine, Friday, March 5, 2021. The country designated 14,000 doses of its first vaccine shipment for the military, especially those fighting Russia-backed separatists in the east. But only 1,030 troops have been vaccinated thus far. In the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, soldiers widely refuse to vaccinate. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A medic prepares to administer a dose of an AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine marketed under the name CoviShield, to a Ukrainian serviceman at a military base near the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, eastern Ukraine, Friday, March 5, 2021. Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainian serviceman Serhiy Kochuk walks along a trench near the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, eastern Ukraine, Friday, March 5, 2021. In the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, soldiers widely refuse to vaccinate. "I have little faith in a pandemic, I don't think it's some kind of serious disease," said Serhiy Kochuk, a 25-year-old soldier who has been on duty at the front line. "I am healthy, but the vaccine can provoke illness; because of this vaccine you can get sick." (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A nurse wearing a special suit against coronavirus walks to treat a patient with coronavirus at the intensive care unit at a hospital in the mining town of Selydove, 700 kilometers (420 miles) east of Kyiv, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Ukraine received its first shipment of vaccine 500,000 AstraZeneca doses in late February. Yet, only about 19,000 people have been vaccinated since then. Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian serviceman receives a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine marketed under the name CoviShield at a military base near the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, eastern Ukraine, Friday, March 5, 2021. The country designated 14,000 doses of its first vaccine shipment for the military, especially those fighting Russia-backed separatists in the east. Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A medic wearing a special suit against coronavirus adjusts a coronavirus patient's oxygen mask at the intensive care unit at a hospital in the mining town of Selydove, 700 kilometers (420 miles) east of Kyiv, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Ukraine received its first shipment of vaccine 500,000 AstraZeneca doses in late February. Yet, only about 19,000 people have been vaccinated since then. Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainian servicemen patrol an area after sunset near their position at the frontline near Vodiane, about 750 kilometers (468 miles) south-east of Kyiv, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, March 5, 2021. The country designated 14,000 doses of its first vaccine shipment for the military, especially those fighting Russia-backed separatists in the east. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainian servicemen walk along a snow covered trench guarding their position at the frontline near Vodiane, about 750 kilometers (468 miles) south-east of Kyiv, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, March 5, 2021. The country designated 14,000 doses of its first vaccine shipment for the military, especially those fighting Russia-backed separatists in the east. Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Women dance in a restaurant during a corporate celebration of International Women's Day in Kurahove, eastern Ukraine, Friday, March 5, 2021. Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian serviceman keeps ready a machine gun in his shelter near the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, eastern Ukraine, Friday, March 5, 2021. The country designated 14,000 doses of its first vaccine shipment for the military, especially those fighting Russia-backed separatists in the east. But only 1,030 troops have been vaccinated thus far. In the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, soldiers widely refuse to vaccinate. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian military medic helps Ukrainian servicemen to fill in a medical form before receiving a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine marketed under the name CoviShield at a military base near the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, eastern Ukraine, Friday, March 5, 2021. The country designated 14,000 doses of its first vaccine shipment for the military, especially those fighting Russia-backed separatists in the east. But only 1,030 troops have been vaccinated thus far. In the front-line town of Krasnohorivka, soldiers widely refuse to vaccinate. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian serviceman walks along a snow covered trench guarding his position at the frontline near Vodiane, about 750 kilometers (468 miles) south-east of Kyiv, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, March 5, 2021. The country designated 14,000 doses of its first vaccine shipment for the military, especially those fighting Russia-backed separatists in the east. Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)