HCMC – HCMC has negotiated with many Covid-19 vaccine producers and expects to buy 5-10 million Covid-19 vaccine doses in the second half of this year, said municipal vice chairman Duong Anh Duc.
At a press conference on June 21 to provide information about the city’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign, Duc said the city had consulted with many experts to comply with the regulations of the Government and the Ministry of Health on the purchase of the vaccine and the requirements of vaccine producers, the local media reported.
The city has worked directly with Covid-19 vaccine producers and not through intermediaries. Due to the requirements of vaccine producers during the negotiation process, the city could not disclose specific information.
The city will announce detailed information about the vaccines after it signs contracts with the vaccine makers, Duc added.
As for the funds for Covid-19 vaccines, the city will mobilize private resources to access the vaccines at the earliest. The use of the city’s budget will be more time-consuming as the city must complete public investment procedures.
The Government has provided the city with 836,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses. By the end of this year, Vietnam will receive more than 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses. HCMC accounts for some 10% of the country’s population, so it may receive 10 million vaccine doses.
Thus, the city can achieve its target of vaccinating 75% of its population against Covid-19.
Besides the imported Covid-19 vaccines, Vietnam is developing its own Covid-19 vaccines, which are undergoing human trials. Next year, locally-made Covid-19 vaccines are expected to be produced.
HCMC started a large-scale Covid-19 vaccination campaign on June 19. The campaign was expected to be completed on June 27 with 200,000 vaccine doses being injected per day. More than 5,000 medical workers have been mobilized for the campaign.
Duc affirmed that all laborers in industrial and export processing zones, the Saigon Hi-tech Park and the Quang Trung Software City will be vaccinated.
In the current Covid-19 vaccination program, in addition to priority groups, the city will provide the vaccine to about one million people, including suppliers of essential services, teachers, employees of administrative agencies, those aged over 65 and workers in industrial and export processing zones.
The municipal Department of Health said after the campaign this time, 6% of the city’s population will be vaccinated against Covid-19.
