COVAX Facility asked to continue COVID-19 vaccine supply to Vietnam
VOV.VN - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested the COVAX Facility go ahead with COVID-19 vaccine supply to Vietnam, especially vaccines against new variants, during his phone talks with Managing Director of the COVAX Facility Aurelia Nguyen on March 3.
Since their meeting in Paris last November, Vietnam has yielded positive outcomes in raising its COVID-19 vaccination coverage, thus becoming one of the countries taking the lead globally in this regard.
The nation has so far received roughly 213 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, with more than 194 million administered.
Up to 98% of Vietnamese people above 18 have received two doses of the vaccine and the country is making every effort to finalize the third jab vaccination to the group within this month, he said, adding that 94% of children aged from 12-17 have also got two doses.
With vaccine coverage and experience in combating COVID-19, the nation is confident of safely and flexibly adapting to and effectively containing the pandemic in order to restore socio-economic activities, with full tourism reopening as from March 15, Chinh told the COVAX Facility leader.
Vietnam is considering the fourth COVID-19 jab and has completed preparations for the vaccination of children from 5 to under 12 years old in a cautious and safely manner, as this is an important step to reopen schools safely as soon as possible.
The Vietnamese cabinet leader thanked the COVAX Facility and the Managing Director for their support to Vietnam, noting the country has received more than 53 million vaccine doses of from COVAX so far, and expects to get tens of millions more in the time to come.
Chinh also affirmed Vietnam’s support for COVAX’s role at international meetings and multilateral forums, and suggested COVAX provide consultation for Vietnam in inoculating children aged 5-12, and help the country in receiving mRNA vaccine production technology transfer under an initiative supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and some partners, including COVAX.
In response, Aurelia Nguyen hailed Vietnam’s pandemic control efforts and especially the successful vaccine rollout, as well as its impressive performance in socio-economic development.
The Managing Director said COVAX has published an article on Vietnam’s success in inoculation and vaccination coverage, and asked the country to share its experience with other nations in this field.
She also applauded the effective cooperation between the two sides over the past time, and affirmed her organization’s continued support for Vietnam in vaccines, including those against new variants.
COVAX will give advice to Vietnam in vaccination for children, and transfer vaccine production technology to the country, she added.
PM Chinh invited the COVAX Managing Director to visit Vietnam to discuss ways to augment cooperation between COVAX and the nation.