Vietnam is expected to receive over 1.3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in late March and more than 4.2 million shots in April.

The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) said on Tuesday that free vaccine doses provided by COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX), will arrive in Vietnam in March and April.

Accordingly, 1,373,800 doses will be shipped to the country on March 25, and more than 2.8 million shots will arrive within April.

All of these vaccine jabs are developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

COVAX, which aims at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, is led by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and others.

It consists of 92 member countries, including Vietnam.

The EPI added that another 1.48 million vaccine jabs which the Ministry of Health had purchased from AstraZeneca via the Vietnam Vaccine JSC will also reach the country in April.

This means Vietnam will have over 5.6 million vaccine shots developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University in March and April.

The country has announced that it will try to obtain 150 million vaccine doses for the whole population this year, including 30 million through the COVAX scheme, 30 million through AstraZeneca, and the rest through negotiations with U.S. and other producers.

The first COVID-19 vaccine shipment – a batch of 117,600 doses – landed in Ho Chi Minh City on February 24. This is part of the 30 million doses bought from AstraZeneca.

COVID-19 vaccination was initiated in Vietnam on Monday.

A total of 522 people in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, the northern province of Hai Duong, and the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai were vaccinated on Monday and Tuesday.

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