Vietnam set to get 3 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccine this week

Vietnam is expected to receive 3 million doses of Moderna vaccine donated by the US government through COVAX facility this week. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam is expected to receive 3 million doses of Moderna vaccine donated by the US government through COVAX facility this week, said Prof. Dr. Dang Duc Anh, Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on July 19.

In addition, the country will get 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from the Romanian government in the near future, he said, adding that Vietnam is also asking the Chinese Government for non-refundable aid of 5 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine.

Also on July 19, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said that Pfizer had agreed to increase the volume of COVID-19 vaccines supplied to Vietnam in the third quarter from 3 million to 3.5 million doses and committed an additional 20 million doses this year. This brings the total number of Pfizer vaccine doses expected to be sold to Vietnam to 51 million doses, up 20 million doses compared to the plan.

Thus, in addition to 105 million doses of vaccines committed under signed contracts, 70 million doses are under negotiation and likely to be signed. Vietnam is expected to have a total of 175 million doses this year and early next year.

To date, Vietnam has received more than 10.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including 7.1 million doses of  AstraZeneca, 2 million doses of Moderna and 194,200 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. 

Vietnam has so far administered 4,283,906 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with 306,475 people receiving full two shots.

Regarding the information that Vietnam will need 10 more years to achieve the goal of vaccinating 75 percent of the population, Anh said the information was completely inaccurate and groundless.

"If we see the progress of vaccination in Vietnam, especially in pandemic-hit  areas such as Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces, the vaccination rate is very high in a short time," he said.

Anh also said that more than 26 million doses of vaccines will arrive in Vietnam in the third quarter and another 65.5 million doses in the fourth quarter. It means that the country will get more than 91.5 million doses for the rest of this year, including 20 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine exclusively for children aged between 12 and 18.

According to the MoH, Vietnam has reached an agreement on transfer of vaccine technology from the US and Russia as well as an agreement to support domestic units to accelerate clinical trials and ensure the compliance with the required procedures./.