Vietnam wants EU to help it acquire Covid vaccine

Speaking at a Friday meeting with Giorgio Aliberti, Ambassador of the European Union to Vietnam, he thanked the EU for its support, which has enabled Vietnam to source vaccines through Covax, a global mechanism for distribution of vaccines to developing countries and people in conflict zones.

But the vaccination rate in Vietnam remains low, precluding herd immunity, he said.

"Under the present circumstances, no region, country or person is safe without a vaccine against Covid-19."

He said countries and businesses that possess the vaccine know-how should share it with other countries, especially those severely affected by the pandemic.

Aliberti admitted it is important to increase vaccination against Covid to achieve wide coverage as soon as possible.

Saying the EU strongly supports the Covax mechanism and has so far provided nearly 2.5 million doses to Vietnam, he promised that more doses would be delivered before year-end.

Vietnam is currently using the vaccine produced by British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca for its public vaccination program.

The country has received over 2.6 million doses of the vaccine, with 117,600 doses through commercial contracts and the rest through Covax, and immunized over a million of its 96 million people.

It has also been developing its own vaccines, with Nanocovax by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC and Covivac the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biological having entered human trials.

Since a new Covid wave began on April 27 the country has had 1,913 cases in 30 cities and provinces.