Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (centre), Nitin Kapoor (third, left), and other participants in the meeting on June 29 (Photo: chinhphu.vn)NitinKapoor, President for Asia Area Frontier Markets at AstraZeneca and Chairmanand General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam, highly valued the VietnameseGovernment’s efforts to carry out the vaccine strategy fruitfully and pursuethe “twin targets” amid the pandemic-caused difficulties facing regionalcountries.
Heassessed the pandemic prevention and control work and the protection ofpeople’s health in Vietnam as good and effective.
PMChinh urged AstraZeneca to create optimal conditions for Vietnam to secure atleast 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses between now and early August so as toimplement the vaccine strategy and provide free vaccination for people in atimely, safe, and effective manner.
Hecalled for the firm’s coordination and assistance for Vietnam to producevaccine in the country and also asked for reduction of vaccine prices.
Inresponse, Kapoor said the world is facing a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine supplysince the pandemic is developing more complicatedly and unpredictably while theglobal vaccine production capacity remains modest.
However,he promised to persuade the parent company to deliver at least 8 millionvaccine doses to Vietnam in July and early August. He also pledged to reportthe country’s proposal to the company for consideration of giving the bestpossible prices of vaccine to Vietnam.
AstraZenecawill help Vietnam manufacture vaccine and invest in the production of medicinefor several diseases in the country while promoting programmes to support thelocal healthcare sector, Kapoor noted.
Heexpressed his belief that with the Government and the PM’s drastic action, thewhole political system’s engagement, and people’s support, the fight against COVID-19in Vietnam will be successful and the country will achieve the “twin targets”of effectively combating the pandemic and boosting socio-economicdevelopment./.
VNA
