UK donates 415,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been made by Oxford Biomedica in Oxford and packaged in Wrexham, North Wales. (Photo: Reuters)

The donation is part of nine million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that the UK will begin delivering to countries around the world this week.

This is the first batch of 100 million doses the UK will donate over the next year, following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s commitment at G7 Summit in Cornwall last month.

About 80 million doses will go to COVAX and the rest will go directly to beneficiaries directly.

“The UK is sending 415,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Viet Nam as part of the first batch of the 100 million doses we’ve pledged, to those most in need in the world vaccinated as a matter of urgency. We’re doing this to help the most vulnerable, but also because we know we won’t be safe until everyone is safe,” said British Secretary Dominic Raab.

Announcing the news, British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth War said reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to support Vietnam to accelerate its national programme vaccination, as well as to make the vaccines accessible to the people most vulnerable to the virus.

“These vaccines will soon be handed over to the Vietnamese health authority and distributed to those most in need across Vietnam,” said the diplomat. “The UK will continue to share our experience in vaccine rollout and genomic testing, to ensure Vietnam’s programme is successful.’

According to the ambassador, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been made by Oxford Biomedica in Oxford and packaged in Wrexham, North Wales.