Vietnam seeks foreign assistance for COVID-19 vaccination process

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long holds working sessions with three diplomats in Hanoi between March 31 and April 1.

During a reception held for Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, Minister Long displayed sincere thanks for the EU’s support of COVID-19 vaccines and suggested that the EU provide assistance by showing different techniques in order to hold a successful Vietnamese vaccination campaign.

The Minister also called on pharmaceutical and medical equipment firms based in the EU to invest in production in the nation moving forward. Indeed, the Vietnamese population now ranks 15th in the world and is a potential market for future investment projects, he added.

In response, Ambassador Aliberti congratulated Vietnam on receiving the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX campaign following the arrival of 811,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, whilst pledging to continue to assist the nation in its ongoing COVID-19 vaccination campaign. 

At a reception for US ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink, Minister Long suggested that the US side could create favorable conditions for the country to access COVID-19 vaccines produced by US firms such as Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson.

The local diplomat therefore expressed hope that the US side will provide technical and financial support to the nation in order to be able to organize a COVID-19 vaccination campaign in a successful manner.

Both sides also agreed on the establishment of a temporary working group aimed at assisting the domestic COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

During the working session with Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio, local health officials proposed that the Japanese side collaborate with competent Vietnamese agencies to transfer technology on testing and producing COVID-19 vaccines.