Australia contributes to COVAX vaccines in Vietnam

Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam (L) shakes hands with Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie. Photo credit: Australian Embassy in Vietnam

Australia’s AUD 80 million contribution to the COVAX AMC has helped make this first round of deliveries possible. 

“Australia will do this in partnership with your country’s priorities and needs,” said Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie.

“There is no higher priority for Australia than working with our neighbors to access safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines,” she added.

This is the first delivery of vaccines for Vietnam as part of the COVAX AMC, which has allocated 25 million doses in this initial round to Southeast Asia, including 4.1 million doses for Vietnam.

Further COVAX AMC allocations will be announced later this year to ensure all eligible countries have sufficient doses to vaccinate up to 20 per cent of their populations in the first instance by the end of 2021.

Representatives from Vietnam, UN and other donors at the delivery of vaccines for Vietnam (Photo credit: Australian Embassy in Vietnam)

“Vietnam is an important partner for Australia. We are family, friends, and neighbors.  Your future is our future. It is by working together across the region that we will save lives, help economies reopen and ensure our region’s stability,” the Australian diplomat said.

Australia’s contribution to the COVAX AMC complements AUD 523.2 million COVID-19 regional Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative for the Pacific and Southeast Asia. The country also announced a further AUD 100 million for the landmark Vaccine Partnership with other Quad members, India, Japan and the US, which will provide over one billion vaccines to the Indo-Pacific by 2022.

“Australia strongly believes that our region will recover more quickly from the pandemic if we work together to provide essential vaccines,” Ambassador Mudie said.

Song Anh