Vietnam receives over 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Poland
VOV.VN - Polish Ambassador to Vietnam Wojciech Gerwel handed over 501,600 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to the Ministry of Health on the morning of August 23.
The batch of AstraZeneca vaccines had initially arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on August 21 and are being donated by the Polish Government to help the country in its ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the handover ceremony, Ambassador Gerwel shared the Vietnamese Government and people’s difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in some of the nation’s worst-hit localities.
Simultaneously, the Polish diplomat also expressed his great admiration for Vietnamese people’s determination to follow the policies proposed by the Government, adding that a strong resolve and consensus will help the country eradicate the pandemic in the near future.
Ambassador Gerwell went on to highlight the Vietnamese community’s great contributions and support of frontline medical staff working at hospitals in Poland last year in their battle against the pandemic, noting that the Eastern European country is willing to help the nation overcome its own challenging period.
In response, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister To Anh Dung expressed his gratitude for the Ambassador and the Polish Government’s relentless support for the Vietnamese Government, people, as well as Vietnamese community based in Poland.
He noted that the Polish side’s valuable support has encouraged Vietnamese people in the fight against the pandemic, whilst also contributing to boosting the relationship ahead of the 71st anniversary of Vietnam-Poland diplomatic ties.
Minister Dung also expressed his appreciation for the Polish Government’s donation and pledged that the Ministry of Health will allocate the latest batch of vaccines to pandemic-hit localities as swiftly as possible.
This comes after the Polish Government announced on August 17 a decision to donate 501,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Vietnam. This will be done whilst simultaneously supplying a batch of essential medical equipment worth US$4 million to the country, with the shipment scheduled to arrive in early September.
Moving forward, the Eastern European nation is also planning to transfer an additional three million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the nation.
