US considers donating additional COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam: Ambassador

Ambassador Ha Kim Ngoc says the US is considering delivering additional COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam through COVAX

Ngoc told a Washington-based VOV correspondent that the second US-donated shipment of 3 million doses of the Moderna vaccine has arrived in Vietnam, with about 1.5 million doses transferred to Ho Chi Minh City on July 24 and the remainder expected to arrive in Hanoi the following day.

The US has supplied Vietnam with 5 million doses out of a total of 23 million doses that the Biden administration has committed to 20 countries and territories in Asia.

“As far as I know the US is considering donating additional vaccines to Vietnam in the coming time,” he revealed.

 “This is timely and significant sharing and assistance for Vietnam,” said Ngoc, citing the fact that the US considers vaccines a matter of national security while many countries have a high demand for COVID-19 vaccines from the US.

The diplomat said the Vietnamese Embassy in the US has worked hard in recent times to seek and lobby for the supply of vaccines as well as medical equipment to the COVID-19 fight back in the country.

He said the embassy has received strong support and close coordination from the American business community in Vietnam, as well as many Vietnamese individuals and organizations in the US.

“The US side is currently discussing with Vietnam to complete the procedure for shipping to the country Cue COVID-19 test kits and 75 cold storage devices for vaccines in the near future", the ambassador added.