Lukas Musil, Charge d'affaires a.i. of the Czech Republic’s Embassy in Việt Nam hands over more than 250,000 vaccine doses to Việt Nam. — Photo Ministry of Health

HÀ NỘI — The Government of the Czech Republic has donated more than 250,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Việt Nam.

The vaccines were handed over to the Vietnamese Ministry of Health on Monday morning.

The batch includes nearly 210,000 AstraZeneca doses and 40,800 Moderna doses with a total value of US$1.3 million (more than VNĐ30 billion).

Lukas Musil, Charge d'affaires a.i. of the Czech Republic’s Embassy in Việt Nam, said Việt Nam was one of the countries receiving vaccine priority from the Czech Republic, who are always ready to support Việt Nam in the pandemic’s prevention and control.

The vaccine donation has proved a very special relationship that has been fostered for many years between the two countries, he said.

Việt Nam and the Czech Republic have supported each other in the fight against COVID-19. Last year the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic participated in a number of pandemic prevention activities.

The Government of the Czech Republic will continue to donate medical equipment.

Thanks to the help of the UPS Foundation, the donated vaccines arrived at Nội Bài Airport in Hà Nội on August 27. During the delivery process, the vaccines have been preserved following instructions.

The donated vaccines arrived at Nội Bài Airport on August 27. — Photo from the Czech Embassy in Việt Nam

On behalf of the Vietnamese Government, deputy health minister Trương Quốc Cường thanked the Czech Republic for the vaccine donation and shipment.

This is such a great source of physical and psychological encouragement for the Vietnamese Government and people in this difficult time, he said.

The Ministry of Health has pledged to distribute the vaccines to organisations and localities in need.

Việt Nam has so far received more than 27 million vaccine doses from various sources including more than 17 million AstraZenaca doses, more than 5 million Moderna doses, about 3 million Pfizer doses, 2.5 million doses of Sinofarm and 12,000 Sputnik V doses.

As of August 29, more than 19.7 million doses have been administered. More than 17 million people have been vaccinated with the first dose.

Việt Nam sets the target to have 75 million people vaccinated by April 2022. — VNS