More than 2 million doses of COVID-19 Moderna vaccine supplied by the US Government through the COVAX Facility arrive in Vietnam (Source: UNICEF)
The batch is part of the 80 million doses of vaccine committed by the US President, of which 41 million doses will be distributed through COVAX Facility, to meet vaccination demand in the world.
Vietnam has gained success in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic since 2020, but due to the limited supply of vaccines globally, the rate of vaccination in the country remains low. At present, only around 4 percent of Vietnam’s population have been vaccinated, while the number of infections has surged in the past few weeks.
UNICEF representatives receive the vaccine batch at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi (Source: UNICEF)
Earlier, Vietnam had received 2,493,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX Facility. Since the arrival of the first batch of vaccine supplied by COVAX in early April, Vietnam has administered over 4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine by July 9.
The delivery of more vaccine to Vietnam has allowed the country to expand vaccination, towards the goal of inoculating more than 70 percent of the population by the end of the first quarter of 2022.
Besides vaccine, the US has granted more than US$17.7 million to help Vietnam cope with the Covid-19 pandemic since the early days of the pandemic.
More than 2 million doses of COVID-19 Moderna vaccine supplied by the US Government through the COVAX Facility arrive at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi (Source: UNICEF)
In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, UNICEF Representative in Vietnam Rana Flowers said in the context of the vaccine shortage and complicated developments of the pandemic, priority should be given to people at the front of the fight against the pandemic like health workers and vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions.
She stressed the importance of ensuring that everyone continues to follow the Health Ministry’s 5K message – khau trang (face masks), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distancing), khong tu tap (no gatherings), and khai bao y te (health declarations) – to protect themselves from the coronavirus, and all children are given regular vaccines under the nation’s extended vaccination programme.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has signed off a plan for implementing the national Covid-19 vaccination drive from now to April 2022.
The plan, taking effect on July 8, will be updated based on real-time pandemic developments and the vaccine supply, and it will serve as the basis for agencies and localities to make and carry out their inoculation plans.
The list of groups given priority in Covid-19 vaccination has been expanded in the largest-ever immunisation campaign of Vietnam.
