Vietnam asks Pfizer for more vaccine supply

By Ngoc Anh September 24, 2021 | 03:13 am PT

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (third from left) visits Pfizer's headquarters in New York, the U.S., September 23, 2021. Photo by Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the U.S. drug maker Pfizer for additional supplies of the Covid-19 vaccine as he visited its headquarters in New York Thursday.

Jonathan Selib, Senior Vice President of Pfizer, said the firm would provide 31 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine for adults in Vietnam this year, and another 20 million doses for its children once they're proven effective and safe.

Phuc also requested Pfizer to complete approval procedures for countries to hand over Pfizer vaccine doses for Vietnam once Vietnam manages to reach a purchase agreement, according the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnam has vaccinated over 29 million people with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. Over seven million people have been fully vaccinated.

The country aims to secure 150 million doses to cover 70 percent of its population by next year.