Currently, vaccines are considered the most effective measure to prevent andcontrol the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vaccine diplomacy is a decisive factor for thesuccess of the vaccine strategy which has been implemented methodically anddrastically at various levels, especially at the high level. Vaccine diplomacyhas become a focal content at working sessions, face-to-face or online talks,and overseas trips of Party and State leaders.
The first step in realising the strategy is thatthe Government has decided to establish a COVID-19 vaccine fund to receive,manage and use domestic and foreign funding and contributions along with Statebudget resources to buy and import vaccines, research and produce vaccinesdomestically. As of October 3, the fund has received more than 8.69 trillionVND (382.54 million USD).
One of the urgent tasks in the implementation ofthe vaccine strategy is to get the fastest access to vaccine supplies alongwith finding partners for cooperation in the transfer of vaccine production technology. Thewhole political system has joined in efforts to secure vaccine sources,especially promoting vaccine diplomacy.
In addition to creating all favourableconditions to accelerate research and production of vaccines domestically, itis necessary to promote vaccine diplomacy to quickly access and bring vaccines,medical equipment and COVID -19 treatment medicines to the country as much andas soon as possible, according to Son.
Vaccine diplomacy, especially high-level mobilisation,has yielded positive initial results over the past two months.
On the plane carrying President Nguyen Xuan Phucafter his official friendly visit to Cuba and attendance at the 76th session ofthe United Nations General Assembly, there were 1.05 million doses of Cuba'sAbdala vaccine, 1,000 ventilators and medical equipment and supplies worth 8.8million USD that overseas Vietnamese in the US and partners donated to the Vietnamesepeople.
Up to 1.05 million doses of Abdala COVID-19vaccine, 1,000 ventilators and medical equipment worth 8.8 million USD thatoverseas Vietnamese in the United States and partners donate to people ofVietnam were transported to Vietnam on the plane carrying President Nguyen XuanPhuc after his official visit to Cuba and attending the 76th session of theUnited National General Assembly.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang HoangGiang said the most special thing of the visit was that the President’s vaccinediplomacy was implemented very effectively, achieving many positive results. Itreflected the great efforts of the President as well as the Government andrelevant ministries and agencies.
Earlier, National Assembly Chairman Vuong DinhHue’s visit to Europe also achieved practical outcomes with 200,000 doses ofAstraZeneca vaccine donated by Belgium and Slovakia and hundreds of medicalequipment worth more than 1 trillion VND (over 44 million USD) presented byorganisations and individuals. The Vietnamese communities in Austria and theCzech Republic also handed over 365 million VND to Ho Chi Minh City andVietnam’s COVID-19 Prevention and Control Fund on this occasion.
In particular, a number of contracts on thetransfer of PCR test kit production technology, cooperation in phase 3 clinicaltrials and vaccine production and order with a total value of 12.2 trillion VNDwere signed.
It can be said that the visits by PresidentNguyen Xuan Phuc and NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue were among the importanthighlights in vaccine diplomacy over the past time.
Vietnamese representative agencies abroad haveactively worked with partners for vaccine supply, and transfer of technologiesto produce vaccines, medical equipment and medicines to treat COVID-19, therebymany new opportunities have been opened up.
As of October 3, a total number of 54 milliondoses of vaccines had been delivered to Vietnam along with many medical equipment,supplies and medicines to treat COVID-19./.