PM Holds Phone Call With COVAX Managing Director

During a phone call with Managing Director of the COVAX Facility Aurélia Nguyen on Thursday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested the COVAX Facility continue its supply of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam.
March 05, 2022 | 10:29

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested the COVAX Facility continue its supply of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam, especially vaccines against new variants, during his phone call with Managing Director of the COVAX Facility Aurélia Nguyen on March 3.

The PM said since their in-person meeting in Paris last November, Vietnam has gained positive outcomes in raising its COVID-19 vaccination coverage, becoming one of the countries taking the lead globally.

PM Holds Phone Conversation With COVAX Managing Director
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh holds phone talks with the Managing Director of the COVAX Facility Aurelia Nguyen. Photo: VOV News.

Vietnam has received about 213 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far, of which more than 194 million have been administered.

Up to 98% of Vietnamese people above 18 have recieved two shots of vaccine and the country is striving to complete the injection of the third jab to the group this month, he said, adding that 94% of children aged 12-17 have also received two doses.

With vaccines and experience in COVID-19 combat, Vietnam is confident to safely and flexibly adapt to and effectively control the pandemic, and restore socio-economic activities, with full tourism reopening scheduled from March 15, the PM said.

The Vietnamese cabinet leader thanked the COVAX Facility and the Managing Director for their support to Vietnam, noting the country has received more than 53 million vaccine doses from COVAX so far and expects to get tens of millions more.

PM Holds Phone Conversation With COVAX Managing Director
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with Managing Director of the COVAX Facility Aurélia Nguyen (Photo: VNA)

Chinh also affirmed Vietnam’s support for COVAX’s role at international meetings and multilateral forums and suggested COVAX provide consultation for Vietnam in inoculating children aged 5-12 and help the country in receiving mRNA vaccine production technology transfer under an initiative supported by the World Health Organization and partners, including COVAX.

Aurelia Nguyen hailed Vietnam’s pandemic control efforts and especially the successful vaccine rollout, as well as its impressive performance in socio-economic development.

The Managing Director said COVAX has published an article on Vietnam’s success in vaccination coverage and asked the country to share its experience with other nations.

She also applauded the effective cooperation between the two sides and affirmed her organization’s continued support for Vietnam in vaccines, including those against new variants.

COVAX will give advice to Vietnam in vaccination for children, and transfer vaccine production technology to the country, she added.

PM Chinh invited the COVAX Managing Director to visit Vietnam to discuss ways to augment cooperation between COVAX and the nation.

PM Holds Phone Conversation With COVAX Managing Director
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with the Managing Director of the Office of the COVAX Facility Aurélia Nguyen, Paris, France, on November 3, 2021. Photo: baochinhphu.vn.

Aurélia Nguyen is the first person whom PM Chinh met during his three-day visit to France starting on November 3. In last November's visit, Chinh underlined that with the determination and efforts of the Government and support of international friends, including the important assistance of COVAX and other countries through the programme, as well as high consensus from the community, Vietnam has basically put the pandemic under control.

Vietnam has switched to come up with a strategy for safe and flexible adaption to and effective control of the pandemic, recovery and promotion of socio-economic development, and gradual resumption of economic and tourism activities.

According to Hanoi Times, Aurélia whose father’s country of origin is Vietnam was named by TIME magazine to the 2021 TIME100 Next list honoring “the 100 individuals who are shaping the future of their fields and defining the next generation of leadership.”

Holding a Master’s degree in Health Policy, Planning & Financing from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the London School of Economics, Aurélia served as Gavi’s Managing Director for Vaccines & Sustainability, leading the end-to-end work of designing Gavi’s vaccine programs until her appointment as Managing Director of the Office of the COVAX Facility.

COVAX is the vaccine pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a groundbreaking global collaboration bringing together governments, scientists, businesses, civil society, donors, and global health organizations to speed up an end to the pandemic.

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