A haul of three million doses of the Mordena COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States through the Covax Facility will arrive in the country on July 25, according to Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang.
Spokesperson of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang
Hang unveiled the information during the Ministry’s regular press briefing held on the afternoon of July 22 via online platform.
This vaccines are being donated by the US Government through the COVAX facility, which has been jointly initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI), with UNICEF being the key partner in the deal.
The Moderna vaccine, also known as Spikevax, uses the same mRNA technology as in the Pfizer vaccine and was granted approval by the WHO on April 30, with research showing that the vaccine is 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 cases.
According to a study conducted by American scientists, the Moderna vaccine is notable for being highly effective against the emerging Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, formerly known as the Indian variant.
The doses are set to arrive following the Ministry of Health approving the Moderna vaccine for emergency use in order to meet the country’s urgent needs in the COVID-19 fight.
Previously, the US Government had donated two million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Vietnam through the COVAX mechanism, with these vaccines being shipped to the country on July 10.
Immediately after receiving this batch, the Ministry of Health distributed two million doses of the Moderna vaccine to 53 provinces and cities, police and military force, along with 20 hospitals.
In addition to the batch of two million doses of the Moderna vaccine, the nation has received 2,493,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX mechanism.
To date, the country has received more than 10.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, including 7.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, two million doses of the Moderna vaccine, and 194,200 doses from Pfizer.