Ukraine is a country with the climate typical for Europe, which means December to March it’s pretty cold there. Thus, people often get sick with flu and cold.

Segodnya.ua asked their online visitors what methods they use to combat these traditional winter problems. Apparently, 3 in 4 Ukrainians don’t believe in medicine and only use traditional remedies such as herbal teas with honey and ginger, as well as trying to eat more fruit and veg.

Ukrainians don’t trust doctors?

Only 13% of respondents in the online poll stated they had a flu shot. The same number of people strive to improve immunity with the help of immune stimulators and vitamins sold in pharmacies.

But the vast majority of respondents (73%, or 3 in 4 people) prefer to limit exposure to the modern medicine and only use the traditional methods such as herbal teas with honey, eating more vegetables, and so on.

Is it because the pharmacological methods cost money or do Ukrainians simply don’t believe anything official? Hard to say, since the cost of a flu shot could be seen as pricey by the local standards.

According to KP.ua, in some Ukrainian towns pharmacies offer flu shots for as little as 250 hryvnia (USD 10), while in others the cost of immunization could be as high as 765 hryvnia (USD 32). There is a whole range of prices in between, which varies from one shop or clinic to another.

Ukrainians can purchase a shot done with vaccines from either South Korea or France. The first one protects against 3 types of the virus, the second one from 4 types.

Many people in Ukraine believe that traditional remedies have no side effects, while modern medicines could hurt their health. The attitude towards protection against the common flu virus, as reflected in this recent poll, confirms this notion.

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