Vietnam's 1-year Journey Against Covid-19 Pandemic

Photo: Luong Thai Linh/EPA

Since being elected by the 14th National Assembly in April 2021, the Government has experienced a year with unprecedented difficulties and challenges after 36 years of renovation.

Under the leadership of the Party, with reasonable decisions in each period, the Government has steadily led the country through a difficult year, gradually recovered and developed the economy, ensured social security.

After a period of carrying out the vaccine strategy in Vietnam, on April 14, an important milestone in the strategy of vaccine coverage for the entire population was reached. Quang Ninh province became the first locality in the country to deploy Covid-19 vaccination for 6th graders, opening a campaign to vaccinate children from 5 to under 12 years old.

The vaccine coverage strategy for the youngest children is a practical action in the effort to control the Covid-19 pandemic and protect the health of the entire population, which is resolutely carried out by the Government of Vietnam.

The situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnam is gradually being controlled, the socio-economic situation is recovering. However, the Government still continues the vaccine diplomacy campaign to take care of the health of each citizen, especially the young generation.

With vaccine diplomacy, the key to determining the success of the strategy, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Decision No. 1399/QD-TTg on August 13, 2021 to establish the Government's working group on vaccine diplomacy.

The establishment of the working group is of great significance, continues to affirm the Party and State's consistent policy that protecting people's health comes first and foremost. This also maximizes the mobilization of all domestic and international resources to soon reverse the Covid-19 pandemic, bring socio-economic activities and people's lives back to normal.

Covid-19 vaccine is aided to Vietnam under the COVAX mechanism. Photo: WHO Vietnam

The Government's working group on vaccine diplomacy focuses on key tasks: mobilizing international partners and organizations to provide vaccine aid, cooperation in production and technology transfer of vaccines, drugs for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is to quickly cover vaccines for the entire population, promptly fulfill the goal of ensuring the health and life of each Vietnamese citizen.

The Government has also made efforts to find, approach and connect foreign partners in negotiating, importing and receiving vaccines, drugs and health products; mobilizing partners to deliver vaccines to Vietnam on time or earlier than planned, according to signed agreements and contracts.

The Government's working group on vaccine diplomacy, together with all levels and sectors has urgently carried out vaccine diplomacy, achieving outstanding results.

The success of the unprecedented diplomatic campaign has helped Vietnam become one of the six countries with the highest vaccine coverage rate in the world. This achievement has led to a deep reduction in the death rate from Covid-19.

Thanks to the success of the vaccine strategy and the timely issuance of Resolution 128/NQ-CP by the Government, Vietnam's economy has been gradually recovering. The dual goals of the Government, both protecting people's health and recovering socio-economics, have initially been successful.

Although the growth recovery process still faces many challenges, with the results achieved from the vaccine strategy, people trust and accompany the Government's major decisions on socio-economic development. Those decisions emphasize taking the people as the center and being the subject for sustainable development.

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