Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has proposed the government should not allocate any budget on Covid-19 vaccines but seek funding from other sources.

Vaccination in northern city of Haiphong. Photo: Vinh Quan/Kinh Te Do Thi

The proposal was made after the WHO-led COVAX Facility affirmed to supply additional 38.9 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines for Vietnam, one of 92 beneficiaries of the global vaccine sharing program.

With the commitment, Vietnam is able to vaccinate 19.4 million people of prioritized groups or 20% of the country’s total population.

Thanks to the COVAX supply, the government would not fund the purchase of some 30 million doses that Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC) has negotiated to buy from AstraZeneca plc as previously planned. VNVC would import the batch with funding from the partnership among different stakeholders or VNVC would be eligible to sell vaccines to localities having demand for.

Currently, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Quang Ninh, and Bac Ninh have announced to earmark funds from local budget on universal immunization for their locals

With negotiated deals, Vietnam has so far ensured enough vaccines to 40% of its population. The remaining will wait for the serviced vaccination. It means that vaccine recipients need to pay or different economic sectors pay for the vaccine purchase.

So far, Vietnam has administered Covid-19 vaccines to roughly 260,000 people. Its vaccines are sourced from the import of AstraZeneca plc and COVAX Facility.

At present, one of the four Vietnamese vaccine developers has finished the second phase of human trial and is preparing for the third trial phase from May to July on around 15,000 volunteers. After the third phase, the vaccine would be allowed for universal inoculation.