The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX arrived at Nội Bài International Airport in Hà Nội on April 1, 2021. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam hopes to receive more support from international organisations and countries around the world to access more sources of COVID-19 vaccines, health minister Nguyễn Thanh Long told an online meeting with representatives from the COVAX Facility scheme (COVAX) and health officials from a number of countries on June 1.

During his remarks, Minister Long, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government, highly valued the initiative of the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in establishing the scheme with the goal of providing 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021, and ensuring fair and equal access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries.

He urged COVAX to accelerate the supply of vaccines for Việt Nam, noting that the country was witnessing an increasing number of locally-transmitted COVID-19 infections, especially in industrial parks.

Việt Nam was actively promoting the purchase of technology, receiving technology transfer for vaccine production to be able to self-produce vaccines to serve domestic demand, Long said.

According to the minister, Việt Nam has so far received nearly 2.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX out of a total of 38.9 million doses committed by the initiative in 2021.

Việt Nam is urgently carrying out its vaccination campaign in line with the plan approved by COVAX Facilityd.

"Việt Nam is committed to participating in the technology transfer chain for vaccine production," he said, adding that the country would invest in a vaccine production factory, which is expected to be licensed for production to supply vaccines to COVAX Facility and other countries.

Minister Long announced that Việt Nam would contribute US$500,000 to the COVAX Facility scheme. This support showed appreciation for the effectiveness of this global initiative in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and affirmed the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to engaging strongly in the programme, he stressed.

The Vietnamese health official thanked the COVAX Facility, international organisations and countries around the world for supporting Việt Nam in accessing vaccines in the framework of the scheme and other vaccine sources, expressing his hope that with the cooperation of the global community, COVAX would realise its goal, contributing to pushing back the global pandemic with vaccines.

COVAX Facility is a mechanism set up by the WHO, GAVI, UNICEF, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and manufacturers and partners for the development of vaccines to ensure that all countries have fair and effective access to vaccines. — VNS