Over two million Moderna vaccine doses arrive in Vietnam

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.

UNICEF representatives receive the vaccine batch at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi (Source: UNICEF)

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.

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 17.7 million USD to
help Vietnam cope with the pandemic since the early days of the
pandemic.

More than 2 million doses of COVID-19 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./.