Ukraine, EU mutually recognize COVID-19 vaccination certificates

KIEV, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The decision of the European Commission on the equal status of digital COVID-19 vaccination certificates between the European Union and Ukraine entered into force on Friday, Ukraine's Health Ministry reported on its official website Friday.

"Today is a historic moment ... because we became one of the first countries in the world to join the EU's single digital market regarding the COVID-19 certificates," said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov during a press briefing in Kiev.

Health Minister Viktor Lyashko, in turn, stressed that to avoid falsification of certificates, the Ministry of Health has prepared a bill on criminal liability for falsifying vaccination certificates, which will soon be presented at a government meeting.

As of Friday, 7.9 million doses of vaccines against COVID-19 were given in Ukraine, and nearly 3 million people have received both doses.