Batch of COVID-19 vaccine donated by Japan arrives in Vietnam

Nearly one million doses of donated by the Japanese Government arrives at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on late June 16. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Nearly one million doses of AstraZeneca
vaccines donated by the Japanese Government arrived at Noi Bai International
Airport in Hanoi on late June 16.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, representing the Vietnamese Government,
received the COVID-19 vaccine batch at the airport.

Addressing the event, Minister Long expressed his joy to receive the vaccine
shipment as donation by the Japanese Government, saying that this gift is an
example of the flourishing relations between Vietnam and Japan, especially amidst
complicated developments of the pandemic and critical shortages of vaccines on
a global scale.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long (centre), representing the Vietnamese Government, receives the COVID-19 vaccine batch from Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio at the airport. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam is committed to effectively use of the vaccine as soon as possible,
Long said, adding this batch of the vaccine would be transported to Ho Chi Minh
City on June 17 morning to inoculate the people and workers in the southern
city.

He also said that Vietnam is the first country in Southeast Asia that has
received COVID-19 vaccine aid from Japan.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio said the donation is a testament to
the longstanding friendship between Japan and Vietnam, and Japan wishes to
connect with the international community, especially with Vietnam, to overcome
the pandemic.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has a look at the newly-arrived vaccine batch. (Photo: VNA)

The Air Japan flight departed from Narita International Airport in Tokyo at
6:45pm on June 16, carrying temperature-controlled shipping containers to
maintain 2-8 degrees Celsius, the ideal storage condition for AstraZeneca
vaccines.

During the meeting with the Japanese Ambassador on June 15, Prime Minister Pham
Minh Chinh thanked the Japanese Government for the donation following his phone
call with Japanese counterpart Suga Yoshihide./.