Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính speaks at the teleconference held with COVAX Facility Office Managing Director Aurélia Nguyễn on Monday. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has asked the COVAX Facility to speed up the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines to Việt Nam.

He was speaking during a teleconference with its Office Managing Director Aurélia Nguyễn on Monday.

PM Chính said he highly valued the role of COVAX in seeking supplies, coordinating and fairly distributing COVID-19 vaccines around the world, which has significantly contributed to controlling the pandemic.

He stressed that "COVID-19 is a global issue which requires a global approach and stronger and more effective international cooperation to prevent, roll back, and control the pandemic".

In the short term, it was necessary to support the equal access to COVID-19 vaccines and drugs via multilateral and bilateral mechanisms, he noted.

The Government leader affirmed Việt Nam’s consistent policy of putting people’s health and safety first and above all, and that the country was striving to achieve vaccine coverage of the entire population as soon as possible.

Since July 2021, Việt Nam had carried out the largest vaccination campaign in history and effectively used the acquired vaccines on the basis of the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the COVAX Facility, he added.

PM Chính said Việt Nam was facing vaccine-related difficulties, so to ensure sufficient doses, he asked COVAX to prioritise allocating vaccines to Việt Nam as fast and as much as possible, especially in September, October, and November, and to fulfil the vaccine provision agreement with Việt Nam in 2021.

The country had conducted and would continue the fast and effective administration of the vaccine doses it had received, he said, adding that it was ready to provide all necessary information so that COVAX could consider distributing more vaccines to Việt Nam soon.

At the meeting, he asked COVAX to coordinate and supply the Moderna vaccine for Việt Nam in order to inoculate people with a second dose, while helping connect and share information about countries that were likely to have spare vaccines or those that had been given but did not use vaccines immediately so that Việt Nam could borrow or purchase.

The PM also called on the Facility to assist Việt Nam to enhance cooperation with international partners in vaccine and drug production and to access sources of vaccines for people under the age of 18.

He noted that in the spirit of international solidarity, the country has contributed US$500,000 to COVAX, and it was considering more donations to the Facility. It had also actively engaged in global efforts against the pandemic.

Aurélia Nguyễn highly valued Việt Nam’s achievements in the COVID-19 fight, noting that the country had carried out vaccinations in a smart, scientific, transparent, timely, and effective manner.

COVAX viewed Việt Nam as one of the typical examples of effectively implementing the immunisation campaign and the pandemic prevention and control

The facility would exert every effort to realise its commitments to Việt Nam, she said, adding it would continue allocating 85 million vaccine doses to countries around the world, including Việt Nam, this October and that it would keep the distribution to Việt Nam in the future.

The Managing Director also applauded the country’s long-term vision in researching, developing and working towards vaccine self-sufficiency.

She voiced her belief that with efforts, strong determination, and right directions in the COVID-19 fight, the Government and people of Việt Nam would soon surmount the current trying time.

Her colleagues and she would be ready to assist and discuss with Việt Nam about the vaccine issue at any time during the bilateral cooperation process, Nguyễn added. — VNS