Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense has received an additional 300,000 Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine doses gifted by its Chinese counterpart.

The vaccine shots were handed over to Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense Hoang Xuan Chien by Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo during a ceremony at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Tuesday evening.

The vaccine doses, which were manufactured in China, are aimed at assisting the Vietnamese military and people in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Ambassador Xiong said at the ceremony.

This reflects the sentiment of the Chinese military and government for the military and people of Vietnam, the diplomat continued.

On behalf of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, Deputy Minister Chien thanked the Chinese defense ministry for the support and considered it a meaningful gift in the context of the complicated COVID-19 pandemic.

The assistance also shows the neighborliness, friendship, and solidarity between the two armies and the two countries in general.

Following a quality assessment, the vaccine doses will be administered to local residents at eligible medical facilities, the official said.

China’s Ministry of National Defense previously provided its Vietnamese counterpart with 200,000 Sinopharm vaccine shots on August 23 last year.

Vietnam has reported 2,380,695 COVID-19 cases since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the country in early 2020, with 2,126,777 recoveries and 38,521 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

Over 79.1 million of the country’s 98 million people have received at least one dose while above 74.3 million have been jabbed twice.

The number of third doses, including additional primary shots for immunocompromised people, boosters, and third jabs of Cuba’s Abdala vaccine, has reached nearly 29.7 million.

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