Vietnam to receive 1 mln Cuban Covid vaccine doses

A total 900,000 doses were handed over to the Vietnamese embassy in Cuba by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) on Friday. Another 150,000 doses were also handed over to the Vietnamese defense attache in Cuba by the Cuban Ministry of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The 1.05 million vaccine doses were transported on a jet with Phuc to be flown back to Vietnam.

Previously during a visit to Cuba from Sept. 18 to 20, Phuc agreed to buy 10 million Covid-19 vaccine doses from the country. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Cuba was willing to provide vaccine technologies to support Vietnam in the Covid-19 fight.

Vietnam has vaccinated 29.5 million people with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. Around 7.3 million people have been fully vaccinated.

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