About 2.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by Australia arrived in Vietnam on Saturday, completing the country’s commitment to share 7.8 million vaccine shots with Vietnam.

Australia has delivered 3.6 million Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam over recent weeks through a procurement agreement with UNICEF and in partnership with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, UNICEF said in a press release.

The final 2.2 million doses touched down at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, which completed Australia’s commitment to share 7.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with Vietnam.    

In addition to the Pfizer-BioNTech doses procured through UNICEF, Australia has shared 4.2 million AstraZeneca jabs from its own supply since August last year.

The Pfizer- BioNTech doses were purchased with UNICEF’s support through Australia’s AUD60 million (US$43 million) package of support for Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Along with purchasing doses, Australia is partnering with UNICEF to ensure vaccine distribution is safe, effective, and equitable.

“Australia is a close friend and partner of Vietnam and we continue to unite in our shared fight against COVID-19,” said Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie.

“Vietnam has made tremendous progress with its COVID-19 vaccine rollout and I am proud that Australia could contribute towards this important work.”

“We are grateful to the Government of Australia for sharing these life-saving vaccine doses with the Vietnamese people,” said UNICEF representative Rana Flowers.

“These vaccines will help Vietnam in its effort to reach all, extending over time to children, and ensuring the rollout of booster doses.”

Vietnam has registered 2,740,293 patients in total since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the country in early 2020.

More than 174 million doses have been given to the adult demographic of the country’s 98 million people, and above 16.7 million shots have been injected into children aged 12-17, according to the Ministry of Health.

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