The machines are part of a U.S. Department of Defense pledge to give Vietnam 111 ultra-low temperature, medical-grade storage units worth approximately $1 million. Seventy-seven have already been delivered.

Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the HCMC Pasteur Institute (R), speaks with U.S. Ambassdor to Vietnam Marc Knapper in front of a ultra-cool freezer gifted by the U.S. to the institute, March 4, 2022.

Of the newly-arrived freezers, the Pasteur Institute will keep six and the rest will go to Military Hospital 175, Cho Ray Hospital and the Centers for Diseases Control (CDC) in 20 southern Vietnam localities.

Each freezer can store up to 175,500 vaccine doses at minus 20-80 degrees Celsius.

U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper said at the handover ceremony that Vietnam and the U.S. have supported each other throughout the pandemic.

He said Vietnam had handed over millions of personal protective equipment when the Covid-19 was at its worst in the U.S. In return, the U.S. has supported Vietnam with ventilators and medical equipment worth more than $31 million in total.

Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that the institute and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were cooperating on global health security issues. In responding to the Covid-19 epidemic, the institute has received technical support from the U.S. CDC to deploy a key Covid-19 surveillance system and support pandemic investigation, he said.

The Southern Regional Emergency Response Center, established with funding from the U.S. CDC and the Department of Defense, has also played an active role in responding to the pandemic in the southern region, he added.

Since last July, the U.S. has given Vietnam over 26 million Covid-19 vaccine doses through the Covax facility.

Vietnam capable of large scale mRNA vaccine production: minister

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long affirmed Wednesday that Vietnam had the competency to produce Covid mRNA vaccines for both domestic and international needs.

83.1 percent of workers at Bac Giang’s IP receive third Covid-19 vaccine shots

(BGO) – Amid the complicated development of Covid-19 pandemic, to realize the dual target of disease prevention and socio-economic development, the health sector has actively cooperated with relevant agencies and localities to speed up vaccination for people, with priority taken to labours at the industrial parks (IP) in Bac Giang province.  

Australia completes commitment to share 7.8 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines with Vietnam

Australia has delivered 3.6 million Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam over recent weeks through a procurement agreement with UNICEF and in partnership with Vietnam's Ministry of Health, according to a press release from the Australian Embassy on February 19.

Vietnam’s 'vaccine passport' recognised by 14 countries, territory

Fourteen countries and territory had recognised the Covid-19 vaccination certificate, also called “vaccine passport”, of Vietnam as of February 16, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

Vietnam to buy nearly 22 mln Pfizer vaccines doses for kids above 5

The government has given the greenlight to the selection of contractors to purchase 21.9 million Pfizer vaccine doses for children from 5 to 11 years old.

Source: VnExpress