Vietnam ranks lowest in Southeast Asia Covid-19 inoculation

Minh Vu

May 10, 2021 / 10:36 PM

Vietnam has a long way to go to get the herd immunity amid the thin supply of Covid-19 vaccines.

The number of people who have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccines in Vietnam is lowest among Southeast Asian nations, less than 1 shot (0.98) per 100 people.

AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine administered to a doctor in Danang on May 12, 2021. Photo: Quang Hai/Kinh Te Do Thi

Statistics by Vietnam's Ministry of Health showed that the Covid-19 vaccine has so far been administered to nearly 955,000 people, or nearly 1% out of 98 million people in the country.

In comparison, as of May 10, the figure in the Philippines is 2.27, Thailand 2.57, Myanmar 2.79, Laos 3.77, Brunei 4.29, Malaysia 5.54, Indonesia 8.12, Cambodia 17.46, and Singapore 54.44, according to Our World in Data.

Vietnam currently uses AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for the inoculation program that has begun since March 8.

The country has got 811,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine under the global vaccine sharing COVAX Facility and 117,000 imported by Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC).

Covid-19 inoculation program in Southeast Asian countries. Source: Our World in Data. Chart: Minh Vu

According to Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long, Vietnam might get an amount of 4.1 million doses from the COVAX Facility in May.

To secure the population immunity, the country needs 150 million doses, Long said, adding that the ministry is working with foreign vaccine suppliers to procure the volume while developing domestic production.

In the latest move, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan on May 5 said that by early 2022, Vietnam is expected to get roughly 102 million doses, including 39 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine under the global vaccine-sharing COVAX Facility, 30 million doses of AstraZeneca bought by VNVC, two million doses donated by some organizations and countries, and 31 million doses in deals signed between the ministry and some suppliers.

Japan is among some countries having pledged to transfer Covid-19 vaccine production technology to Vietnam.

Vietnamy is rushing to complete the third phase of human trial of home-grown Nano Covax for emergency use.

To reach herd immunity, recent estimates by international scientists suggested that 70% to 90% of the world’s population would need to be inoculated.

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Experts have said that the research time could be shortened as long as safety requirements remain unchanged.

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Vietnam was certified to have a fully-equipped national regulatory system for vaccine regulation in 2015.

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AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has shelf life of six months.

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