Vietnamese enterprises want to join with government in seeking Covid-19 vaccine sources

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Talking at the seminar between the enterprise community and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Do Hong Hanh, a member of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) said there were units of the Vietnam-U.S business association ready to connect with vaccine producers and bring vaccines to Vietnam, VnExpress reported.

Hanh said that if the government operated the mechanism of allowing the private sector (domestic and FDI enterprises) to seek and negotiate to purchase vaccines, the country would soon get access to the vaccines.

“Although businesses share costs of buying vaccines, the ministry of health still controls the quality of vaccines and implements the inoculation,” she said.

Sharing the same viewpoint with Hanh, Nguyen Hong Uy, representative of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) said the state budget might not cover the expenses of vaccination for all citizens. Therefore, he suggested the government allow socialization and service immunization for high-income people, FDI enterprises or major corporations.

A health worker in HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases holds a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Photo: VnExpress

“Apart from 110 million doses of vaccine which have been ordered by the government, enterprises should be permitted to seek other vaccine sources to soon reach the herd immunity,” he said.

Citing Indonesia's example of swiftly rolling out private and state vacccinations, Do Thi Thuy Huong, a member of the executive committee of Vietnam Electronic Enterprises Association said that Vietnam could follow and apply.

Vu Duc Giang, Chairman of VITAS said in addition to the 5K message, testing and quarantining, getting vaccines was an effective measure to prevent the pandemic.

"Social distancing measure and the halt of operation will exert an adverse impact on the textile and garment industry,” he said.

Since the fourth wave of Covid-19 sweeping through Vietnam on April 27, the Delta Company has spent several hundred million dongs for testing for 150 drivers. Its revenue has declined, while, the company has incurred many arising costs due to Covid-19.

Tran Duc Nghia, General Director of DELTA said that buying Covid-19 vaccines was even cheaper than the cost of testing.

A medical worker gets a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Dong Ha Town of central Quang Tri Province. Photo: VnExpress

In terms of prioritized groups receiving vaccines, Do Thi Thuy Huong said besides medical and frontline workers, laborers at industrial parks should be prioritized.

She also proposed that the government should issue a unified vaccination certificate as well as discuss with other countries in this regard to facilitate businesses to trade and transport goods.

It is needed to classify the prioritized groups based on the principles of risk management, risk of contracting the virus and economy, according to Nguyen Hong Uy. He put forward to divide the prioritized groups into three levels, thereby realizing the dual goal of controlling the pandemic and developing the economy.

The first level is big industrial parks and enterprises producing essential goods with more than 500 employees at high or medium-risk areas.

The second is large industrial parks and enterprises at low-risk areas, small and medium-sized industrial parks at medium-risk areas. The third is the remaining subjects.

Previously, on May 28, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long had a meeting with representatives from the Japanese and South Korean Embassies and foreign enterprises in Vietnam to discuss issues related to Covid-19 vaccine supplies and administration for workers at factories and industrial parks.

Sides also discussed the vaccine access mechanism such as requesting countries to remove the export ban; encouraging foreign enterprises in Vietnam to give vaccines to their workers and cost-sharing mechanism in getting access to vaccines. The Health Ministry pledged to support the approval of the procedures of importing vaccines quickly, but still in compliance with the country’s regulations.

More than one million people in Vietnam have been injected with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine so far.

In Photos: Workers in Bac Ninh, Bac Giang provinces receive Covid-19 vaccine Workers at industrial zones in Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces, Vietnam’s two current coronavirus hotspots have been received Covid-19 vaccine.

Overseas Vietnamese in China receive Covid-19 vaccine Many Vietnamese people in China have received the made-in-China Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine to protect their health and community.

Homegrown Covid-19 vaccine to enter last human trials next week If everything goes as planned, Vietnam can produce its first domestic coronavirus vaccine in late September.