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PM holds phone conversation with COVAX Managing Director

VGP - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held phone conversation with Managing Director of the COVAX Facility Aurélia Nguyen on Monday afternoon.

September 20, 2021 9:22 PM GMT+7

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Photo: VGP

The Government chief welcomed and spoke highly of COVAX’s role in ensuring global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, thus making significant contribution to the common efforts in containing the pandemic.

Pham reiterated that the pandemic is a global issue which demands a global approach and enhanced international cooperation, with immediate focus on equitable access to vaccines and drugs through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms.

Viet Nam has consistently put the public’s health first and foremost and kicked off the largest-ever vaccination campaign in July this year, with the frontline forces, the elderly, people with underlying health conditions and residents in the pandemic-hit areas among the first priority groups.

As Viet Nam manages to secure enough vaccine for its population, PM Pham asks the COVAX facility to prioritize vaccine allocations to the Southeast Asian nation as soon and as much as possible.

Pham also asked the COVAX facility to allocate Moderna vaccines to help Viet Nam administer the second doses to those who have received the first jabs and assist the country in getting access to vaccines for children aged below 18.

Viet Nam contributed US$500,000 to the COVAX facility and is mulling over more funding to the mechanism, Pham affirmed.

COVAX Managing Director highly valued Viet Nam’s effective vaccination rollout plan.

Nguyen welcomed Viet Nam as one of few developing countries to have contributed funding to the mechanism, which reflects Viet Nam’s commitment to and responsibility for the global efforts against the pandemic.

She said the COVAX facility will deliver 85 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to countries around the world, including Viet Nam, next month.

COVAX is also closely monitoring research of vaccines for children aged below 18, said Nguyen, adding that COVAX will share and coordinate with Viet Nam over this issue./.

By Huong Giang