Over 800 Staff of Humanitarian Mine Action Organizations in Quang Tri Vaccinated
	Covid-19 Vaccine Provided to 200 Vietnamese Workers in Malaysia
	Covid-19 & Mental Health: HCM City to Launch "Vaccine for the Mind" Programme

COVAX Facility has considerablly supported Vietnam during the fight against pandemic. (Photo: Vietnamnet)

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue had a meeting with Vietnamese ambassadors to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, and Germany on September 5 as soon as he arrived at Vienna-Schwechat airport in Austria to attend the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (WCSP5) in Vienna. At the event, the ambassadors said that they sent National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s letter to the parliaments of the European countries to call for assistance in providing Covid-19 vaccines for Vietnam.

The news marks one of Vietnam's latest achievements to implement itsvaccine diplomacy, which is one of the key strategies in the current fight against the pandemic.

According to Vietnamnet, Vietnam's vaccine policy includes accessing vaccine sources from outside, strengthening international cooperation in technology transfer and vaccine production, and locally producing vaccines, ensuring safe and effective vaccination for Vietnamese people. While the "Made in Vietnam" vaccine is waiting for approval, "vaccine diplomacy" is a solution to help the country have access to vaccines.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue had a meeting with the Vietnamese ambassadors in some European countries. (Photo: Dan Tri)

Achievements gained

Vietnam has achieved crucial and encouraging results in its “vaccine diplomacy” over the past few months. Despite a global shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, Vietnam has still received the enthusiastic support of partners, neighboring countries, and international friends. According to VnExpress, as of September 4, the country has received 29 million doses of vaccines.

To name a few, Vietnam has received Covid-19 donations from many European countries, including Hungary, Slovakia, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Among those, Germany donated Vietnam 2.5 million doses of vaccine and medical equipment, including 75 ventilators and 20,000 pulse oximeters.

Slovakia has also pledged to transfer two to three million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Vietnam. Poland and Vietnam are also negotiating the transfer of three million Covid-19 vaccines along with providing Vietnam medical equipment, including ventilators, worth USD4 million.

The Czech government has also committed to transferring 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Vietnam, according to Dan Tri.

Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Motegi Toshimitsu on September 3 said Japan would provide 440,000 AstraZeneca vaccines doses to Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan considering the coronavirus situations, medical capabilities, and vaccination progress in these locations. Japan had supplied Vietnam with around three million AstraZeneca vaccine doses. The country would send Vietnam an additional batch of AstraZeneca vaccine doses, expected to arrive September 9, according to VnExpress.

A total of more than five million doses of Moderna have been donated by the US. The donated vaccines are provided through the COVAX dose-sharing mechanism, which allows well-supplied countries to share vaccine doses with other countries to help protect the most at-risk populations globally.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc mentioned vaccine support while hosting the Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma. (Photo: VNA)

Continuous efforts

The Party General Secretary, the President, the Prime Minister, and the National Assembly Chairman have paid great attention to, directed, and participated in a drastic way, in both bilateral to multilateral diplomacy, from telephone talks to writing letters to leaders of other countries to seek all available sources of vaccines. In hundreds of phone calls and meetings at home and abroad, Vietnamese leaders have talked about cooperation on vaccines.

Regarding the latest development, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on September 6 received Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma, where he asked the ambassador to urge the Indian Government to give Vietnam an emergency loan of 10 million doses of the vaccine in the near future along with the further provision of Covid-19 treatment drugs, equipment, and supplies, according to VNA.

Earlier, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 4 called on the US to continue helping Vietnam in Covid prevention and control through suitable forms, especially in implementing the vaccine strategy. The Government leader made the suggestion at a reception for Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Vietnam Christopher Klein and representatives from US firms and investors.

Vietnam aims to secure 150 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to cover 70 percent of its 96 million population by next year. Many experts believe that, in addition to promoting "vaccine diplomacy" to get as many vaccines as possible, the production of locally-made vaccines is very important for Vietnam to control Covid-19.

Vietnamese Embassy in Russia Steps Up ‘Vaccine Diplomacy’ The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia has been making active moves to boost “vaccine diplomacy” to assist the battle against COVID-19 in the homeland, Ambassador Dang ...

Vaccine Diplomacy – Vietnam’s Ahievements in First Half of 2021 Vietnam has carried out flexible, creative diplomacy in the first half of this year to achieve the dual task of containing the pandemic and boosting ...

India to seek funds in "Quad" alliance, countering China's vaccine diplomacy India has sought "Quad" alliance's investment in its vaccine production capacity, including United States, Japan and Australia, as these countries are trying to tackle China's ...