Vietnam calls for APEC's cooperation on Covid vaccine research, production

At the APEC Informal Leaders Retreat on responding to the pandemic and economic recovery initiated by Australia, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc proposed stepping up regional cooperation for technology transfer regarding Covid-19 vaccine research and production, considering how APEC is home to some of the world's top vaccine production and supply centers.

"We should look into the possibility of establishing a temporary APEC waiver of certain intellectual property protections on Covid-19 vaccines," he said, according to a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

An APEC guideline on sustaining supply chains during emergencies should be developed to ensure economies keep running and prevent global supply chain disruptions, Phuc said. APEC should also implement policies to assist vulnerable communities, improve business resilience, train the workforce and narrow digital gaps between urban and rural populations, he added.

More than 4.23 million in the 96-million strong Vietnam have received Covid-19 vaccine shots, with 298,177 having received two doses.

The country aims to buy 150 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to immunize 70 percent of its 96-million population by next April. So far, about 105 million doses from various sources have been committed for use in Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Health.