Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long (fifth from left) receives the donation from the donors (Photo: nhandan.com.vn)
Hanoi, (VNA) – The Health Ministry received 21 billion VND (over 912,400 USD) donated by enterprises to the ministry’s fund for purchasing COVID-19 vaccine at a ceremony in Hanoi on February 5.
The donors were the Thaiholdings JSC and the Lien Viet PostBank.
At the ceremony, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long hailed the enterprises for their donation, stressing that buying vaccine is one of the top priority tasks of the health sector so that people’s life and other activities can return to normal.
The Party and State recognize the efforts and contributions of all organisations and individuals in the fight against the pandemic.
The minister informed that Vietnam has signed a contract with the AstraZeneca of the UK to buy COVID-19 vaccine, and the first batch is expected to arrive in the country late February or early March. By June there will be around 30 million doses of the vaccine to carry out vaccination.
The Health Ministry is still continuing to hold talks with other partners to buy more vaccine, he said, adding that it is also pushing the research and production of domestic vaccine, with positive progress./.
VNA