An elderly man in Hà Nội's Nam Từ Liêm District is receiving a COVID-19 vaccine jab on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Japanese foreign minister Motegi Toshimitsu on Tuesday announced additional COVID-19 vaccine donation to Việt Nam, according to a statement from the Japanese embassy in Hà Nội.

During a press briefing held today, the Japanese diplomat said Japan would send another 400,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to Việt Nam.

This brings the total of vaccine donations from Japan to Việt Nam to 3.58 million doses, following the latest shipment of 80,000 doses that arrived on September 9.

The shipment would be delivered once preparations are finished.

The donation to Việt Nam is part of a slew of more support Japan’s Asian partners – 300,000 more for Thailand, 100,000 for Brunei, and 500,000 for Taiwan.

To date, Japan has given out more than 23 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine produced in Japan to countries in South Asia and the Pacific islands, Motegi said.

Additionally, Japan has pledged US$1 billion and 30 million doses to the COVAX program, overseen by the GAVI alliance and the World Health Organisation.

Japan has fully vaccinated 50 per cent of its population according to government data on Monday.

The country has relied mainly on imported mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna for domestic inoculation, and opted to give away most of its supplies of the AstraZeneca shot (including ones made right in Japan), according to The Asahi Shimbun. — VNS