Vaccine Fund binds hearts together in COVID‑19 fight
Vaccine Fund binds hearts together in COVID‑19 fight
Many trillions of Vietnamese dong have been continuously flowing into the accounts of the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund since its launch on June 5, affirming the belief and consensus of the whole society and people from all walks of life in the strategic orientation of the Party, State and Government in the fight against the pandemic.
In his speech at the launch ceremony of the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund on June 5, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that our country is undergoing a difficult period, and the Party and State require the joint efforts, consensus and donations made from the hearts of the entire society.
On behalf of the Party and State, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front, he called on all people to unite to fight the epidemic, emphasising that the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund is a fund of kindness, compassion, and trust, a fund that binds hearts together so that we can overcome difficulties together to triumph in the battle against the pandemic.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presents certificates of donation to vaccine fund donors at the fund launching ceremony.
The fund, which was approved by the Government on May 26, aims to mobilise social resources to share with the state budget for the purchase and import of vaccines as well as for research, development and production of domestic vaccines.
The not-for-profit fund will use the mobilised capital for the right purposes and in line with legal regulations, ensuring transparency and efficiency.
It will use COVID-19 vaccine for people on the principal of ensuring voluntary contributions and open and transparent operation in accordance with the law while creating the most favourable conditions for donations.
The fund illustrates the consensus of the people, whether young or old, rich or poor, at home or abroad, as well as organisations and businesses from different social or religious background or geographical locations.
A health worker receives a shot of COVID-19 vaccine.
Previously on at the launch of a fundraising campaign held virtually on May 27 by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee to support the prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed that the country is now in need of contributions from every person, the State leader asked citizens from all social strata both at home and abroad, businesses in all economic sectors, organisations, followers of religions, as well as people of other countries to join hands with the entire Party, people, and army to defeat the pandemic.
He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, State, and people are highly grateful to philanthropists for their donations, calling on all people to stay united in this combat.
The Vietnamese Party, State, and people are highly grateful to philanthropists for their donations.
~ President Nguyen Xuan Phuc
The appeals of the State and Government leaders have received much enthusiastic response from organisations, businesses, ministries and individuals both at home and abroad.
As of 5pm, June 16, as many as 312,301 organisations and individuals had given total donations of VND5.543 trillion. The donations have created a source of encouragement and great strength to help the Government and the local community step by step repel and win the war against the epidemic.
The birth of the vaccine fund evidenced the Party and State’s strategic and clear-sighted vision in ensuring a sustainable financial source for the fight against the epidemic
Since the pandemic broke out in Vietnam in early 2020, Party and State leaders and the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control identified it as an enemy directly threatening people’s lives and the country’s development, and thus gave close and drastic directions, and mobilised the involvement of the entire political system in the fight.
While chairing a Politburo meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control in Hanoi on June 11, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong requested the entire political system to pay highest attention to this work in the spirit of “fighting the pandemic like fighting the enemy”.
The entire political system must pay highest attention to COVID-19 prevention and control in the spirit of “fighting the pandemic like fighting the enemy“.
~ General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong
Noting that the pandemic is developing more complicatedly and unpredictably, the Party chief stressed that the Government should focus on directing and mobilising resources to accelerate the purchase and injection of COVID-19 vaccines, maintaining support for homegrown vaccine research and development, promoting international cooperation in pandemic prevention and control and vaccine supply, and quickly removing legal difficulties related to the selection and purchase of vaccines.
People from all walks of life have made donations to the vaccine fund.
In the context of complicated developments of COVID-19, Vietnam has chosen vaccination coverage to create herd immunity, so a series of plans are being implemented. The “5K” principal (in Vietnamese): Khau trang (facemask) – Khu khuan (disinfection) – Khoang cach (distance) – Khong tu tap (no gathering) – Khai bao y te (health declaration) has now been expanded into “5K+vaccine+technology” as the Party and State set the goal to administer free vaccines to all people to soon achieve herd immunity, considering “vaccine strategy” a fundamental, long-term, strategic and decisive solution to push back the pandemic.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Fund is the fund of kindness, compassion, and trust, a fund that so that we can overcome difficulties together to triumph in the battle against the pandemic.
~ Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh
Currently, the health sector is implementing its largest ever vaccination campaign, following the principle of “safety first”. At a conference on the implementation of the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign on June 15, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said that the campaign will involve many different ministries and agencies as it is the largest in the nation’s history.
The national steering committee for vaccination must work online round-the-clock to monitor the vaccination process closely. All processes from vaccine transportation and preservation to COVID-19 vaccination organizations must be certified as safe, he said.
Vietnam receives a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility
Through negotiations and exchanges, suppliers and manufacturers around the world have pledged to supply about 130 million doses of vaccine to Vietnam between now and the end of 2021. The Ministry of Health is continuing to boost negotiations and exchanges with international organisations and producers to ensure an adequate supply of 150 million doses to vaccinate 75% of the population.
The vaccination campaign will need around VND25.2 trillion, or US$1.1 billion. The Government has already arranged a budget of VND14 trillion, so a Covid-19 vaccine fund has been set up to raise funds from individuals and organisations to cover the remaining VND11.2 trillion.
Vietnam’s vaccine fund initiative has received applause from international community.
An article published recently in Nikkei Asia said the establishment of the fund is of great significance in the efforts to vaccinate the Vietnamese people as it is an important weapon in the fight against the pandemic and in protecting the manufacturing supply chain.
Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) Alain Cany welcomed the establishment of the fund and said that European businesses wishing to participate in supporting the fund is a very positive move.
Vietnamese people from all over the world have also made donations to the domestic vaccine fund.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam Mary Tarnowka affirmed that many member businesses of her association have expressed their willingness to support vaccination costs for their employees.
Representatives of international organisations in Vietnam have also spoken highly of the solidarity and sense of responsibility amongst the people in the COVID-19 fight through the vaccine fund initiative.
Dr Kidong Park, WHO representative in Vietnam, said the Vietnamese Government’s mobilisation of resources to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines was made in a timely manner and in line with the global vaccine initiative.
The Vietnamese Government’s mobilisation of resources to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines was made in a timely manner and in line with the global vaccine initiative.
~ Dr Kidong Park, WHO representative in Vietnam
That the Government manages and equitably uses donations from individuals and private firms is hoped to result in new values for the strategy to fight the ravaging pandemic, he added.
UN Resident Coordinator Kamal Malhotra said this was a good initiative which has been supported by the UN for months. He said it should have only one fund at a national level under the supervision and direction of the Government. COVID-19 was considered a national emergency situation for any institution. Only the Government would have adequate capacity to coordinate this fund.
Welcoming the inauguration of the vaccine fund, Carolyn Turk, World Bank Country Director for Vietnam, said that the Vietnamese Government has made an accurate move in speeding up the inoculation drive.
She said fast and effective COVID-19 vaccination was an essential and important measure to ensure safety for people and promoting economic recovery. She said she believed that the Vietnamese Government has made the right step in boosting vaccine access for people.
Delegations from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, WHO Vietnam and UNICEF Vietnam welcoming the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility.
Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, head of the European Union Delegation to Vietnam, said the establishment of the fund was an important part in the general strategy to cope with COVID-19 of Vietnam. He said he believes that in this strategy, the Vietnamese Government plays a key role in mobilising and connecting resources.
For her part, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen said a UNDP study showed that people in the country are highly in favour of the Government’s COVID-19 prevention and control measures.
Therefore, she expressed her belief that people from all walks of life, especially businesses will respond to the Government’s call and make contributions to the newly established fund.
As of June 20, the total amount contributed to the fund is VND5.776 trillion.
Vietnam’s COVID-19 count stood at 12,900 as of 6pm on June 19, according to the Ministry of Health.
As of June 17, the number of vaccinated people reached nearly 2 million, of whom nearly 90,000 have received two jabs.
Individuals and organisations can transfer their donations in Vietnamese dong, US dollar or euro to 15 accounts at the State Treasury and 4 banks, namely BIDV, Vietcombank, HDBank and Vietinbank.
They can also make donations by sending SMS messages to the National Humanitarian Portal 1400.
Donations can be made to the official website of the Covid-19 vaccine fund here.
