Another batch of AstraZeneca vaccines arrives in Vietnam

A medical worker receives a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine

This is the second batch ordered by the MoH via the Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC) and the fourth delivery to the country.

The vaccine was immediately transferred to cold storage facilities before being granted customs clearance on the morning of May 26.

At present, a total of four batches of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been delivered to Vietnam, totaling approximately 2.9 million doses, including 117,600 and 288,000 doses purchased in February and May.

Vietnam has been carrying out the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign since March 8, with over 1,034,072 doses administered. Those given the vaccine shots are frontline healthcare workers, on-duty staff at quarantine camps, and members of COVID-19 prevention and control teams.

According to Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long, Vietnam has secured approximately 110 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines under agreements reached with foreign vaccine manufacturers and partners. More than two thirds of the total will come from AstraZeneca, including 38.9 million doses sponsored by the COVAX Facility, and the remainder 31 million doses will be supplied by Pfizer/BioNTech.

The MoH has also registered with COVAX to purchase a further 10 million doses through the cost-share mechanism.

It is working alongside other manufacturers to diversify supply sources for domestic use.

The MoH is aiming to have 150 million vaccine doses to inoculate 75% of the Vietnamese population.