COVID-19: Vietnam working hard in vaccination

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health is working hard to roll out the vaccine strategy, especially vaccine diplomacy.

However, Vietnam and many other countries that have yet to produce vaccines are facing difficulties in vaccine access.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said one of the roadblocks lies with the purchase and import of vaccines as Vietnam has to satisfy almost requirements of vaccine suppliers, including the risk of overdue shipment.

He also pointed out the global vaccine scarcity, even in the case of the COVAX mechanism that has yet to complete its plan on providing vaccines for countries, including Vietnam.

Moreover, changes in vaccine policies like those regarding the expansion of vaccination eligibility and vaccine boosters have also exerted impacts given the global vaccine shortage, Long said.

According to the minister, the Government and the Prime Minister have made drastic instructions to seek more vaccine sources for the country.

The health ministry has also worked to accelerate the inoculation, and as a result, Vietnam’s vaccination rate stays high as compared with that of many other countries in the world, even surpassing 1 million doses each day.

Long said economic recovery and the resumption of social activities depend on vaccination, adding that his ministry has continuously urged localities to speed up the inoculation.