A batch of 415,000 AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines was handed over to Vietnam on Tuesday [August 3] in a ceremony witnessed by David McNaught, Political Counsellor at the British Embassy in Hanoi.

The batch of vaccines was handed over to Vietnam on August 3. Photos: The UK Embassy in Hanoi

The handover took place at the National Institute of Hygiene And Epidemiology (NIHE) with the attendance of representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the British Embassy in Vietnam, NIHE, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit – OUCRU and AstraZeneca Vietnam, according to the UK Embassy in Hanoi.

Representatives of related agencies at the handover ceremony.

Having joined and witnessed the signing of the MoU on the donation in his trip to Vietnam in late July, UK Minister of State for Asia Nigel Adams said “The UK stands with Vietnam in this challenging period of fighting new waves of Covid-19. We believe in a world of health security and vaccine equity for all. We will continue to work closely with Vietnam to share our experience on vaccine roll-out to maximize the benefits across the globe.”

David McNaught, Political Counsellor at the British Embassy in Hanoi (R) welcomes the vaccine at Noi Bai International Airport on August 2.

The donation is part of the UK nine million doses shared with the world.

The doses, which were produced in the UK, will help keep people safe from the risk of new virus variants.

The vaccine will help people safe from the risk of the new variants.

British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward said he’s glad to support Vietnam’s vaccine program bilaterally as well as through the COVAX Facility.

He shared: “I know we are all grateful to the Vietnamese health workers who continue to work tirelessly to prevent infections and keep us all safe. These vaccines will soon be handed over to the Vietnamese health authority and distributed to those most in need in the country.”

According to the UK Embassy in Vietnam, the British government has financed £25m for research and £65m for manufacturing of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward (1st left), UK Minister of State for Asia Nigel Adams, and Vietnam's Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan at a roundtable in Hanoi in mid-July.