Vietnam to receive 665,000 COVID-19 vaccines donated by UK and Czech Republic

Vietnam to receive 665,000 COVID-19 vaccines donated by UK and Czech Republic. Photo: picture alliance.

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.

“The UK is sending 415,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Vietnam 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.

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.

British Ambassador in Vietnam, Gareth Ward added that, the UK is committed to supporting Vietnam to accelerate its national programme vaccination, as well as make the vaccines accessible to the people most vulnerable to the virus. The UK will continue to share experience in vaccine rollout and genomic testing, to ensure Vietnam's programme is successful.

The doses to be delivered to Vietnam in this bilateral agreement have been made by Oxford Biomedica in Oxford and packaged in Wrexham, North Wales, and further doses will reach Việt Nam via UN-managed global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX.

Moreover, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam also said that the Czech Government has announced a donation of 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Vietnam.

A spokesperson for the Ministry noted: "This is very timely and valuable support from other countries for the Government and people of Vietnam as Vietnam is concentrating resources on COVID-19 prevention and control".

The support demonstrates the depth of the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and the Czech Republic and the strategic partnership between Vietnam and the United Kingdom.