AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines unloaded from a Japanese aircraft at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, HCM City. — Photo hanoimoi.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — The latest batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines donated from the Japanese Government landed at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City on Friday morning.

Friday's provision of the UK's AstraZeneca vaccine, manufactured in Japan, brings the total vaccine assistance from the East Asian country to Việt Nam to nearly 3 million in just a month after the first shipment on June 15.

Japan always wants to help Việt Nam overcome this challenge, reads an announcement from the Japanese embassy regarding the delivery of the batch, as Việt Nam is dealing with an intense fourth wave of infections that have resulted in nearly 40,000 cases since late April.

Japan has also donated a few million AstraZeneca shots to countries in Southeast Asia like Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia, as well as to China’s Taiwan.

It is producing some 60 million doses of AstraZeneca but doesn’t plan to use the shots, preferring mRNA based vaccines, over concerns of rare blood clot incidents.

A total of 4,185,620 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Việt Nam as of Thursday, with AstraZeneca accounting for the majority of them, according to the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation.

Up to 294,680 people have received the full two doses. — VNS