Ukraine spa town stands out amid nation’s vaccine hesitancy

By OLEKSANDR STASHEVSKYI and YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

MORSHYN, Ukraine (AP) — A small spa town in western Ukraine is standing out in a country where only 29% of the population has received coronavirus vaccine shots. In Morshyn, a scenic town nestled at the Carpathian foothills, 74% of 3,439 residents have been fully vaccinated. While Ukraine has faced new restrictions amid a surge of infections and deaths blamed on a slow pace of vaccination, the famous spas in Morshyn have remained open for visitors, unlike public places in most other areas in Ukraine. Locals credit their community spirit approach, which involved a summer vaccination campaign in which doctors called their patients personally to get their vaccine shots. Residents also wear masks and make sure to social distance to keep the town’s 10 spas a safe place to visit.