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| The second batch of Moderna vaccines arrives in HCM City's Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport on Saturday. — Photo from the US Embassy in Việt Nam |
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has received more than three million doses of the Moderna vaccine donated through the COVAX Facility by the US Government, UNICEF have announced.
Nearly 1.5 million doses arrived in HCM City on Saturday night while the rest is due to touch down in Hà Nội on Sunday evening.
This is the second batch of Moderna vaccines to arrive in the country this month, bringing the total donation from the United States Government to Việt Nam to more than five million doses.
The donated vaccines are provided through the COVAX dose-sharing mechanism, which allows well-supplied countries to share vaccine doses with other countries to help protect the most at-risk populations globally.
Remarking on the arrival of the vaccines to Việt Nam, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Christopher Klein, said in a statement, “We are here to help Việt Nam at this difficult time, and our total donation of five million doses of Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is proof of this support. We will get through this pandemic and emerge stronger together.”
U.S. Consul General in HCM City Marie Damour added, “We are proud to be able to assist Việt Nam with more U.S. vaccines, especially with the delivery of nearly 1.5 million of the total doses directly to HCM City, the current epicenter of Việt Nam's fast-growing outbreak.”
“These vaccines arrive at a critical time for Việt Nam as the country experiences its fourth and most devastating wave of COVID-19. The doses donated by the US Government through COVAX will boost Việt Nam’s vaccination campaign to protect health staff, front line workers, the elderly and other priority groups defined by the Government”, said UNICEF Việt Nam Acting Representative Lesley Miller.
To date, Việt Nam has received nearly 7.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in four shipments through the COVAX Facility, including over five million doses of the Moderna vaccine from the US Government and nearly 2.5 million doses of AstraZeneca.
Since the arrival of the first shipment of vaccines from the COVAX Facility in early April, more than 4.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Việt Nam, among them 372,353 second doses.
The additional vaccines will help the Ministry of Health to expand coverage and reach more people from priority groups, contributing to attaining the country’s target of vaccinating more than 70 per cent of population by the end of the first quarter of 2022.
The COVAX Facility is co-led by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations (CEPI), GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, and UNICEF as the key delivery partner. — VNS
