Localities, firms facilitated to access global COVID-19 vaccine supplies

A senior citizen is about to receive COVID-19 Moderna vaccine in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 11. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has
asked the Minister of Health to continue to direct and support localities and
businesses to access global vaccine supplies, according to a document
issued on July 27 by the Government Office.

The request was issued following proposals from companies and organisations
seeking permission to negotiate and import vaccines to provide free vaccinations
for the population.

The Ministry of Health is responsible for state management of vaccine quality,
licensing, storage and organisation of vaccination in a timely, scientific,
safe and efficient manner.

The Minister of Health said the ministry has collaborated with
all ministries, departments and sectors and encouraged all localities,
companies and units to participate in seeking COVID-19 vaccine supplies for
import.

The ministry will adopt policies to engage more local
governments and companies in seeking foreign for
domestic use, and create optimal conditions for them during the procurement
process, from import licensing to vaccine verification.

In case the importers
are unable to perform inoculation, the vaccines will be administered by the
State-run vaccination system.

The ministry also
encouraged enterprises to directly import the vaccines from producers and at
the same time, allows to gain access to vaccines supplies from
businesses.

It emphasised that
vaccines should be directly purchased from manufacturers or authorized
importers rather than a third party or a broker to reduce the risk of procuring
fake vaccines or being defrauded.

Vietnam is making
all-out efforts to have 150 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to achieve
herd immunity in late 2021 or early 2022./.