AstraZeneca pledges to deliver more vaccines to Vietnam

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during the phone talks (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - CEO of AstraZeneca Pascal Soriot has pledged to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam on schedule as well as increase vaccine supplies to the country this month.

During a phone talks with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 19, Soriot said AstraZeneca will also do its best to meet Vietnam’s requests.

PM Chinh, for his part, spoke highly of AstraZeneca’s role and contributions to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the world and in Vietnam. He affirmed that AstraZeneca vaccines contribute importantly to driving back the pandemic across the world, including in Vietnam.

He suggested that the CEO instruct the acceleration of vaccine delivery to Vietnam along with the completion of a contract to provide the country with more vaccines in September and later this year.

The PM proposed AstraZeneca discuss with other countries the possibility of borrowing or repurchasing the vaccines that those countries do not need at present, while stepping up the implementation of contracts on vaccines for children and those aged below 18, and those at high risk and having underlying diseases.

The Vietnamese Government always encourages and create favourable conditions for foreign firms to operate and expand operations in Vietnam in pharmaceuticals and health care, he said, stressing that Vietnam wants to foster strategic, comprehensive and long-term partnership with AstraZeneca not only in vaccines.

It was the second time in a short period that PM Chinh has directly talked with a senior representative of AstraZeneca to accelerate the delivery of vaccines to Vietnam, showing the Vietnamese Government’s high determination and drastic actions to carry out its vaccine diplomacy policy and the Party and State’s consistent policy of placing the people’s health and safety above others./.