Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính holds phone talks with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday. — Photo chinhphu.vn

 HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính proposed the World Health Organization (WHO) support and give priority for Việt Nam to soon receive the next batches of COVID-19 vaccines as committed under the COVAX programme during phone talks with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday.

The PM affirmed that Việt Nam will implement the vaccination strategy effectively and safely in a timely manner.

He also proposed the WHO to support and assist Việt Nam to become one of the vaccine production centres in the Asia Pacific region, adding that with the capacity of the medical sector of Việt Nam as well as potential of some Vietnamese businesses, Việt Nam could produce vaccines meeting international standards. He applauded the WHO Director General’s suggestion to send WHO experts to support Việt Nam in this process.

He appreciated the cooperation and support of WHO for the development of the medical sector of Việt Nam over the past 45 years.

Việt Nam supported global medical efforts and appreciated the role of the WHO and the director general in coordinating international cooperation in disease prevention and control, particularly in COVID-19 prevention and control and in promoting equal COVID-19 vaccine access across the globe, he said.

During the pandemic, Việt Nam has strived to implement the “dual goal” of fighting against the COVID-19 while recovering socio-economic development with support and cooperation of the international community, including the WHO, and of the Vietnamese people, and has achieved initial positive results, PM Chính said.

WHO Director General Tedros said there was a severe shortage of vaccine supply resources across the globe until September this year due to some countries' hoarding of vaccines beyond their needs and severe emerging outbreaks in many parts of the world, which would affect supply of the COVAX scheme as well as countries’ access to vaccines, including Việt Nam.

He said Việt Nam would be prioritised to get quick access to sources of vaccines as well as become a vaccine production centre in the region. WHO would send experts to support Việt Nam’s vaccine research and production efforts meeting international standards.

He spoke highly of Việt Nam’s success in implementing the “dual goal”, particularly the country’s active and creative measures, resolute leadership of the Government and the participation of the whole political system, contributing to Việt Nam’s pandemic prevention and control efforts to make the country an effective COVID-19 prevention model in the world which was popularised by the WHO.

He applauded Việt Nam’s support for international friends in the fight against COVID-19 and thanked the Vietnamese Government for its commitment to contributing US$500,000 to the COVAX programme.

He also thanked Việt Nam for receiving and successfully treating a UN staff member who contracted COVID-19. — VNS