Việt Nam News

Gov't approves $32.6mln to buy 5 million doses of Cuba's COVID-19 vaccine Abdala

October 01, 2021 - 16:18

Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái has agreed to release funds for the purchase, transportation and delivery of five million doses of COVID-19 vaccine Abdala produced by the Cuban Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

The first batch of Cuba's COVID-19 vaccine arrived with the return of President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc from Cuba late September 25, 2021. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái has agreed to release funds for the purchase, transportation and delivery of five million doses of COVID-19 vaccine Abdala produced by the Cuban Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

The total expense is VNĐ742.62 billion (US$32.6 million), taken from the National COVID-19 Vaccine Fund, which has so far received more than VNĐ 8.692 trillion ($382.5 billion) in donations as of Friday.

Việt Nam's commercial contract with Cuba, reportedly the Caribbean country's first vaccine export deal, was signed during last week's visit to Havana by Vietnamese President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.

900,000 doses out of this deal arrived in Hà Nội on the aircraft bringing President Phúc back to the country late September 25, together with 200,000 doses donated by the Cuban defence ministry.

The expenditure approval, Decision No.1644/QD-TTg, was signed on September 30 and came following a proposal put forward by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Finance was assigned to allocate the expenditure from Việt Nam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund in line with regulations.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance are responsible for reporting the process and data.

The use, management, and settlement of the expense should be made in line with regulations, for the right purpose and in an economical, efficient, open and transparent manner.

The Ministry of Health must report the use of the expenditure to the Prime Minister in line with regulations.

Earlier on September 29, Deputy PM Khái also approved an expenditure of VNĐ 3.231 trillion ($142 million) to buy 20 million doses of Sinopharm’s Vero Cell Inactivated vaccine, as per the request of health and finance ministries.

VNĐ 1.237 trillion is sourced from the leftover budget for healthcare activities in 2020, and VNĐ 1.994 trillion is taken from the COVID-19 vaccine fund.

Việt Nam has received about 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine so far and has administered over 43 million shots. — VNS

Tags pandemic coronavirus vaccine Vietnam-Cuba relations Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Abdala vaccine COVID-19 vaccine

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