VNVC plans to import 30 million COVID-19 vaccine doses

• Vietnam Airlines offers free domestic transportation of COVID-19 vaccines
• ASEAN countries agree to spend 10.5 million USD buying COVID-19 vaccines

Under the proposal, the 30 million vaccine doses will be imported by VNCV from its foreign partner and then transferred to the Ministry of Health on a non-profit basis. That means the price of the imported vaccine will include the cost of the vaccine imported from the manufacturer plus other costs like taxes, insurance and transportation fee. Other extra fees accrued prior to the transfer will be paid by VNVC.

According to the Ministry of Health, VNVC, together with the WHO-led COVAX Facility scheme and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), are the three AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine suppliers in Vietnam.

The COVAX Facility is the global pooled procurement mechanism for COVID-19 vaccines through which COVAX will ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all 190 participating economies, using an allocation framework formulated by WHO.

According to UNICEF, the first batch of 1.37 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses, as part of the 30 million order from COVAX Facility for the entire 202, will arrive in Vietnam on March 25. The second batch of 2.8 million doses will arrive on April 25.

By April 2021, Vietnam will receive 4.17 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from COVAX Facility. The remaining 25.9 million does are expected to be shipped to Vietnam from August to November 2021.

Last month, Vietnam also got 117,600 AstraZeneca vaccine doses produced by SK Bio Korea and bought by VNVC and is now conducting injection of the vaccine for those working on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19, starting from March 8.

The Ministry of Health is also negotiating with other vaccine manufacturers such as Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson& Johnson, Gamaleya (Sputnik V) to meet the need for the COVID-19 vaccination in Vietnam.