Vietnam to receive three million Moderna vaccine doses on July 25

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang unveiled the said information during the Ministry’s regular press briefing held on the afternoon of July 22 via online platform.  

In detail, responding to a query on the Moderna vaccine batch and outcomes of Vietnam’s “vaccine diplomacy”, Hang said that considering access to various sources of vaccine and quick and large-scale vaccination an important and urgent solution, the “vaccine diplomacy” work has been rolled out in a drastic and urgent manner under the instruction and direct engagement of leaders of the Party, State, Government and National Assembly, along with efforts of numerous ministries and sectors, towards the target of inoculating about 70 percent of Vietnamese population and reaching herd immunity this year.

Vietnam to receive three million Moderna vaccine doses on July 25. Photo: Alamy.

Hang cited the Ministry of Health as saying that countries, international organisations and partners have to date committed 150 million doses of vaccine for Vietnam through purchase negotiations and assistance.

In the coming time, COVAX is to supply over 1 million more doses and the US will provide an additional three million doses through COVAX, the spokesperson said, adding that Romania will also give 100,000 doses and Australia 1.5 million doses to Vietnam.

Besides, several countries including India, the UK, Australia, Cuba and Germany have made specific commitments to providing Vietnam with aid and technology transfer. Vietnam also receives aid in the form of medical supplies, equipment and other resources from UNICEF and countries like Laos, Cambodia, Japan and the Republic of Korea, and more, the spokesperson said.

Along with efforts made in “vaccine diplomacy”, Vietnam also seeks cooperation in research and technology transfer in vaccine development and production in an attempt to ensure long-term domestic supply and become self-reliant in terms of COVID-19 vaccine.

As reported, the Moderna vaccine, also known as Spikevax, uses the same mRNA technology as in the Pfizer vaccine and was granted approval by the WHO on April 30, with research showing that the vaccine is 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 cases.

According to a study conducted by American scientists, the Moderna vaccine is notable for being highly effective against the emerging Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2.

Immediately after receiving this batch, the Ministry of Health distributed two million doses of the Moderna vaccine to 53 provinces and cities, police and military force, along with 20 hospitals.

So far, Vietnam has received over eight million vaccine doses, including about 4.5 million doses through COVAX, 2 million doses from the US via the COVAX Facility, three million doses from Japan, 500,000 doses from China and 1,000 doses from Russia.