Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai signed a decision on the fund establishment on May 26 to receive, manage, and use voluntary financial and vaccine donations and assistance from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals, along with other legal sources, for the Covid-19 vaccine procurement and import, research and production in the country, and the provision of vaccines for people.
Mobilization of social resources to purchase vaccine for herd immunity drive Managed by the Ministry of Finance, the not-for-profit fund will use the mobilized capital resources for the right purposes and in line with legal regulations, ensuring publicity, transparency and efficiency. It is subject to the examination, inspection, and auditing by relevant State agencies and the supervision by the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the community.
The Ministry of Health in coordination with the Ministry of Finance shall propose the purchase, production, and use of Covid-19 vaccines to the Government for the final decision.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed to have appropriate solutions for mass vaccination; therefore, there must be a roadmap and a plan for the remaining quarter of 2021.
At the same time, the Prime Minister requested to add more people to the list of priority groups with attention to large production facilities, industrial parks, and service areas with more employees.
In the coming time, 150,000 workers in Bac Giang and 90,000 workers in Bac Ninh will receive enough jabs against Covid-19.
From February 2021 to the end of May 2021, Vietnam received three batches of vaccines with a total of about 2.6 million doses. Currently, more than 1.1 million Vietnamese people were vaccinated. As per a plan, around 1.6 million more people will be immunized in June 2021.
According to the plan, Vietnam is funded with 38.9 million doses of vaccine and the government has negotiated to buy 10 million more doses upon COVAX’s financial assistance. Moreover, Vietnam will certainly buy 30 million doses from AstraZeneca. Last but not least, the government has also completed negotiations to purchase 31 million doses of Pfizer's vaccine; hence, the government is calling for contribution to buy around 50 million doses of vaccine.
Under the Government’s direction, the Ministry of Health has made great efforts in finding vaccine supply. However, as the World Health Organization’s warning, the purchase of vaccines is also a burden for developing countries.
According to the Ministry of Finance's estimate, Vietnam needs VND25,200 billion (US$1,093,872,440) to buy vaccines. Of VND25,200 billion, VND 21,000 billion is for purchasing vaccine while VND4,200 billion is for transportation, preservation, distribution and organization of vaccination.
Scores of large enterprises also immediately joined hands to buy enough vaccines for the country. Vingroup and T&T Group have donated 4 million doses and one million of vaccine respectively. Four commercial banks Vietcombank, VietinBank, BIDV, Agribank donated VND100 billion to the vaccine fund. SHB bank, Tien Phong Bank, Hoa Phat Group, An Phat Holdings Group, and Phenikaa Group donated VND 15 billion, VND10 billion, VND50 billion, VND20 billion, and VND 20 billion respectively.
