in photos first batch of astrazeneca vaccine arrives in vietnam picture 1
At 10:50 a.m, a total of 117,600 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrive at the airport. They are part of the 204,000 doses which have been approved for import in February.
Officials from the Health Ministry and the British Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City are at the airport to welcome the first batch of the vaccine.
During the ceremony, Deputy Health Minister Truong Quoc Cuong reveals that both Vietnam and Thailand are the first two ASEAN countries to gain access to the vaccine.
As part of regulations on all imported items, medical workers thoroughly spray disinfectant over the shipment.
The vaccine has been developed by British-Swedish company AstraZeneca following collaboration with Oxford University. In addition, the doses are being imported into the country by Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC).
Vu Thu Ha, director of VNVC, notes that the batch will initially brought to VNVC’s super cold facilities for storage in line with regulations outlined by both the Government and the Health Ministry.
Results from clinical trials indicate that 22 days after receiving the initial shot, the AstraZeneca vaccine can fully protect people from serious illness, hospitalisation, and death caused by COVID-19. Within 90 days, the vaccine’s potency could reach up to 76%.
Other studies show that the vaccine could reduce the risk of infection by two thirds for asymptomatic cases.
The price of the COVID-19 vaccines has yet to be revealed.