The Vietnamese Health Ministry has approved the import of the first shipment of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, which contains 200,400 doses purchased directly from the company, media reported Thursday, citing the ministry
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th February, 2021) The Vietnamese Health Ministry has approved the import of the first shipment of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, which contains 200,400 doses purchased directly from the company, media reported Thursday, citing the ministry.
According to the Vietnam News portal, the first batch will arrive in the country on February 28. The doses will be first administered to healthcare workers and people in high-risk groups.
Vietnam has signed the deal with the UK manufacturer AstraZeneca for 30 million doses of the vaccine, which will be delivered to the country over several shipments in 2021, the news portal said. The first batch, scheduled to arrive on February 28, was manufactured at the facilities of the South Korean company, SK Bioscience.
Additionally, Vietnam will receive 4.9 million doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine via the WHO-backed COVAX, a global risk-sharing mechanism for the pooled procurement and equitable distribution of eventual COVID-19 vaccines.
The government inoculation plan designates the first five million doses of the vaccine to health care workers, frontline volunteers and other high-risk groups. They will receive their first shot from the coming batch, the second one will be administered from subsequent shipments delivered to the country, the news portal stated.
Vietnam is also currently looking into importing Russia's Sputnik V vaccine and using locally manufactured Nano Covax vaccine, which will enter its third phase of clinical trials on volunteers at the end of February, Vietnam News said.
The country is now battling a new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, having registered 700 new cases of the infection since January 27. The total number of infected since the start of the pandemic is estimated at 2,329 people, 1,574 were cured and 35 have died.
