Nguyen Thanh Long, Minister of Health and Head of the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Vaccination speaking at the Committee's first meeting, Hanoi, July 2, 2021. (Photo: Ministry of Health)

The plan is part of the vaccination campaign to be carried out from July this year to April 2022, the Committee said at its first meeting in Hanoi on Friday. 70% of Vietnam’s population will be vaccinated by the end of the first quarter of next year. The vaccines will be administered nationwide in nearly 19,000 fixed and mobile vaccination points. Priority will be given to pandemic-hit provinces and cities and industrial parks.

This is the largest vaccination campaign ever, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said, adding that the ministry will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Defense and localities in receiving, transporting, storing, and distributing vaccines, especially ensuring vaccination safety to the maximum.

Minister Long revealed that this month Vietnam will receive 8 to 10 million doses of vaccines and negotiate to secure 150 million doses of vaccine:

“To date, we have received commitments and signed contracts to receive 105 million doses of vaccines. Currently, we are negotiating to obtain another 45 million doses. So, we'll have about 150 million doses. And the peak time for vaccines to arrive in Vietnam will be the fourth quarter of this year,” he said.