AstraZeneca vaccine batches at a cold storage facility of Việt Nam Vaccine Company (VNVC). — Photo courtesy of VNVC

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam Vaccine Company (VNVC) on Monday handed over 1.3 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to the health ministry, out of its contract for 30 million.

The vaccine batches arrived at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City last Friday, and quality controls took three days, according to the company.

To date, VNVC has received 15 million doses of AstraZeneca, or 50 per cent of the deal with the British-Swedish multinational company.

All the vaccines are transferred to the health ministry of Việt Nam on a non-profit basis (the health ministry buys back at the same price that VNVC buys from AstraZeneca, while the company shoulders all costs related to logistics and storage and other risks) after the company finished quality control checks.

So far, Việt Nam has received over 51 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines of various types.

Over 38 million doses have been administered in the country, with about 8 million people getting the full two doses. — VNS