First vaccines to come to Vietnam before end of February: UN

United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Kamal Malhotra has said that participants [including Vietnam] of the global vaccine-sharing mechanism COVAX will receive the first batch before the end of February.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and ambassadors at a meeting on February 8. Photo: VGP

This is according to the first interim distribution forecast for 2021 of COVAX, Kamal Malhotra said at a meeting with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on February 8.

Countries involved in the COVAX Facility, the global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, now know how many doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines to get in the coming months.

According to the World Health Organization’s COVAX Interim Distribution Forecast as of February 3, 2021, Vietnam will get between 4.88 and 8.25 indicative doses.

The UN, WHO and international organizations have pledged to administer vaccines to roughly 20% of Vietnam’s total population.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, ambassadors, and representatives of international organizations. Photo: VGP

Mr. Kamal Malhotra expected Vietnam is able to vaccinate 70-80% of population in 2022 and highlighted the prevention of epidemics in the future.

Mr. Phuc thanked international bodies for their support in vaccination program for Vietnam, pledging free and equal distribution of vaccines to the people.

Regarding the commercial trade of wildlife, Mr. Phuc said Vietnam considers it a serious crime and has strengthened the enforcement of legal system against this together with implementing international treaties on wild animal protection.

Speaking at the meeting with ambassadors of big countries, Mr. Phuc emphasized the need to boost ties with their countries, noting that the nations are important partners of Vietnam.

Ambassadors of the US, the UK, the EU and representatives of WHO, FAO, among others.