Banking sector, businesses hand over donations to COVID-19 vaccine fund

Illustrative image (Photo: Getty Images)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health received financial assistance of 160 billion VND
(over 6.9 million USD) from the and 4 million doses of COVID-19
vaccines from at a ceremony on May 21.

Addressing the ceremony, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said that under the
direction of the Politburo, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, the
Government, the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention
and Control, and the Ministry of Health, and with the involvement of the entire
political system, Vietnam has brought three outbreaks under control and is
gradually controlling a fourth.

As part of efforts to access COVID-19 vaccines, the has
promoted negotiations for purchases from foreign producers and suppliers.

At the ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Commitments have been made so far to provide some 110 million doses to Vietnam this
year, including 38.9 million from the COVAX
Facility programme, 30 million from AstraZeneca, and 31 million from
Pfizer/BioNTech. The ministry has also registered to purchase an additional 10
million doses under a cost-sharing mechanism through the COVAX Facility
programme.

The ministry is continuing its efforts to secure 150 million doses to inoculate 75 percent of the population, he
noted.

The minister expressed a hope that the banking sector will continue to
accompany the health sector in combating the pandemic.

The financial assistance and vaccines presented at the ceremony will be donated
to the vaccine fund, which will manage and coordinate finances for the sponsorship,
purchase, and use of vaccines.

The fund’s operations fall under the supervision of State financial management institutions
and the State Audit Office of Vietnam.

It is obliged to report collections and
spending to the Government and the National Assembly, and to publicise
mobilised sources, lists of donors, and volume of vaccines on hand./.