Vials of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đạt

HÀ NỘI — Pfizer and BioNTech just announced that they have entered into an agreement with the Vietnamese health ministry to provide an additional 20 million doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, Corminaty.

In addition to the previously contracted 31 million doses, the newly signed amendment of the definitive supply agreement brings the total number of doses to be supplied by the two companies to Việt Nam to 51 million.

These doses are expected to be delivered through 2021 and the distribution of the vaccine in Việt Nam will be led by the Ministry of Health.

“These additional doses will help the Government of Việt Nam ensure broad vaccine access for Vietnamese to advance our response against COVID-19,” Pfizer Việt Nam said in a statement announcing the deal.

“We continue to work in collaboration with the government authorities and remain committed to ensuring smooth delivery and deployment of our vaccine in the country’s immunisation programme,” it said.

The news came after Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính had a telephone conversation with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla over the weekend, urging the company to accelerate delivery of vaccines to Việt Nam in August and September, the two months where there will be limited shipments of COVID-19 vaccines to Việt Nam from all sources, as the country is battling a serious fourth wave of COVID-19 infections.

About 1.2 million doses of Pfizer have arrived in Việt Nam, according to the health ministry.

Việt Nam to date has administered over 18 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, mostly AstraZeneca. — VNS