The Vietnamese government acknowledges that Covid-19 vaccine diplomacy is “very difficult” but appreciates the role of this work, seeing it as “the key” to implementing the country’s vaccine strategy, Prime Minister Pham Minh said on August 11.
At the government meeting on August 11, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said:
“I have phoned the leaders of 22 countries around the world, where we can take advantage. I have also sent letters and made phone calls to 10 international organizations to get access to vaccines.”
VTV quoted the head of government as admitting: “However, it is very difficult, as difficult as it is, but we still try.”
PM Chinh added that he will soon set up a task force on vaccines, under which government agencies will cooperate with businesses and localities to “continue to find sources to import vaccines.”
In addition, he also suggested that agencies, units and localities “equal access to vaccines.” Mr. Chinh said so while there were opinions about boycotting vaccines from China, saying they were ineffective and doubting their safety.
The government of Ho Chi Minh City, which has the highest number of infections in the country, has just imported millions of Chinese vaccine materials to inject people. However, at the beginning of August, the government had to announce that the vaccine was being “evaluated” and said it would be given only to those who voluntarily receive.
Vaccine diplomacy is key to implementing Vietnam’s vaccine strategy in the context of limited supply, according to PM Chinh. “The best vaccine is the one that is given early,” he said.
At a meeting with the Romanian Ambassador in Hanoi at the end of July, Mr. Chinh suggested that Romanian leaders cede unused vaccines to the Vietnamese side.
When US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Hanoi, Mr. Chinh expressed his wish that the US Government would continue to prioritize vaccine support for Vietnam as soon as possible, especially, creating favorable conditions for research partners and transfer technology to produce Covid-19 vaccine in Vietnam.
VietnamNet website quoted Vietnamese Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan on August 11 as saying that so far, Vietnam has injected 11.4 million doses of vaccine out of a total of 18 million doses received.
Vietnam is considered one of the countries with the lowest Covid-19 vaccination rate in the region.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
