A total of 105 businesses and organizations had donated VND2,293 billion (US$100 million) in aggregate by Monday to support Ho Chi Minh City's purchase of coronavirus vaccines, according to the local chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, which takes care of vaccine fundraising and jab distribution in the southern metropolis. 

This is part of Vietnam's crowdfunding to buy COVID-19 vaccine to immunize about 75 million of its population of nearly 98 million people at an estimated cost of VND25.2 trillion ($1.1 billion).

With an aim to reach herd immunity, the Ministry of Health expects to obtain 150 million vaccine doses this year.

The country set up a fund to raise money for this cause under a decision of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on May 26.

The find was officially debuted at a ceremony held in Hanoi on June 5.

Vietnam has been combating a fourth virus wave since April 27, with 7,787 recorded in 40 of its 63 provinces and cities.

Ho Chi Minh City has recorded 923 patients in this round, making it the locality with the third-highest number of infections, after Bac Giang with 4,263 patients and Bac Ninh with 1,394.

Hanoi follows in fourth position with 464 infections.

The nation has documented an accumulation of 10,999 patients, including 9,356 domestic and 1,643 imported cases, since the pathogen first hit the country on January 23, 2020..

Recoveries have reached 4,236 while 61 patients have died, mostly with critical underlying medical conditions like cancer and chronic renal failure.

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