The World Health Organization (WHO) will send experts to Vietnam to support the country in the research and production of vaccines that meet international standards.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomes the WHO’s commitment in his phone talk on June 24 with the WHO's representative. Photo: VGP

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed the WHO’s commitment in his phone talk on June 24 with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Prime Minister Chinh said Vietnam highly appreciated the role of WHO in coordinating international cooperation against the pandemic as well as promoting equal and timely access to the Covid-19 vaccine on a global scale.

Currently, the situation of the disease is complicated in some localities across the country, due to a new virus strain. Therefore, the Prime Minister asked the WHO to support and give priority to Vietnam to receive the next batch of vaccines of the COVAX (Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access) Facility soon. The Vietnamese Government will implement an effective, timely, and safe vaccination strategy, Chinh said.

The WHO Director General said he takes into account Vietnam's request to be supported for becoming one of the vaccine manufacturing centers in the Western Pacific region. With the available capacity of the health sector and the potential of a number of Vietnamese enterprises, the country can produce vaccines that meet international standards. 

According to WHO, vaccine supply will be in serious shortage until this September due to outbreaks in many parts of the world and the situation of hoarding beyond demand in some countries. These issues affect COVAX’s ability to supply vaccines to countries, including Vietnam.

WHO Director General Tedros thanked the Government of Vietnam for its commitment to contribute US$500,000 to the COVAX Facility. 

He thanked Vietnam for successfully receiving and treating a UN staff member who was infected with SARS-CoV-2 recently. WHO will pay attention and do its best to support Vietnam's anti-pandemic work, he said.

Vietnam is one of 190 countries participating in the COVAX Facility and has benefited from the initiative. The country received more than 2.5 million doses which were divided into two batches, both from AstraZeneca.

It is expected that in late June or early July, a batch of more than one million doses from COVAX will arrive in Vietnam.