COVID-19 vaccine fund: A mission to mobilise resources to brave the pandemic

The initial success of the country’s fight against Covid-19 over the past year resulted from the close direction of the Party, State, Government, the efforts of branches and levels, and the consensus of the people. However, the pandemic has witnessed complicated developments, requiring more drastic measures and the strength of the whole community. The birth of the national COVID-19 vaccine fund is an initiative demonstrating the Government’s high level of determination to contain the pandemic and soon bring people’s lives back to normal.

Bac Giang Province completes the injection of 150,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for frontline forces against the pandemic and for workers in 10 localities in the province. (Photo: Duc Duy)
Bac Giang Province completes the injection of 150,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for frontline forces against the pandemic and for workers in 10 localities in the province. (Photo: Duc Duy)

Right from the first day when COVID-19 arrived, the leaders of the Party, State and Government have provided clear direction with drastic, synchronous, creative and realistic solutions in response to the pandemic. Ministries, sectors, branches, Party committees and authorities at all levels as well as people from all walks of life have fully and actively participated in the pandemic battle.

The spirit of "willing to sacrifice immediate economic gain in order to best protect the people's health and safety" and "fighting the epidemic like fighting the enemy" have been well implemented to date.

As a result, Vietnam has been recognised as one of the bright spots in the world in realising the "dual goals" of preventing and controlling the pandemic while maintaining socio-economic development. Statistics show that Vietnam has been listed among countries that have handled the pandemic most effectively with a low number of infections and fatalities. Vietnam is also one of the few countries in the world with positive growth despite of the pandemic.

Vietnam is in its fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, with more difficulties than the previous ones. This fourth epidemic has not only seen an increase in the scale and number of cases but also the fast-spreading variants of SARS-CoV-2, requiring more sound and effective anti-pandemic solutions.

The Government and the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control have highlighted the role and responsibility of local authorities in this tough fight. In addition, 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 been expanded into “5K+vaccine+technology”.

According to Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious losses, claimed the lives of millions of people around the world and turned many countries’ economy and societies upside down.

So far, the pandemic has not yet shown any signs of abating, so the vaccine solution is the most effective measure to protect people's health and return life to normal. Most countries, including Vietnam, have been striving to achieve the goal of at least two-thirds of the population vaccinated by the end of 2021.

The minister also shared that following the direction of the Politburo, the Government and the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health has made great efforts to bring vaccines to Vietnam and access more sources of COVID-19 vaccines in the context of limited supply in the world.

More than 200 discussions, working sessions and negotiations with organisations and vaccine manufacturers, carried out by the Ministry of Health since mid-2020, should bring about 130 million doses of vaccine for Vietnam in 2021. The Ministry has continued worked to achieve the goal of receiving 150 million doses of vaccines to achieve herd immunity in 2021.

Delegates at the launch ceremony of the national COVID-19 vaccine fund in Hanoi on June 5. (Photo: VNA)

Currently, the health sector is implementing its largest ever vaccination campaign, following the principle of “safety first”. As of the afternoon of June 5, a total of more than 1.243 million people have been given their COVID-19 vaccine shots, over 33,000 of them have received two full doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Perhaps, the health sector has never carried out such multiple tasks as now: fighting the pandemic on all fronts and exerting every effort to provide health check-ups and treatment at all medical facilities to protect people’s health, while urgently deploying safe vaccinations and ensuring vaccine coverage.

In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year, many individuals and organisations have shown an increased sense of social responsibility which can be seen through images of farmers donating vegetables and rice to those directly working in the COVID-19 fight and mothers of martyrs contributing their savings to the country’s effort to brave the pandemic.

The Prime Minister has decided to establish the Vietnam national COVID-19 vaccine fund with the mission of mobilising social resources for the purchase and import of vaccines as well as for the 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.

Soon after its establishment, the fund quickly received the appreciation and support of businesses, people across the country and overseas Vietnamese with trillions of dong having been donated to the fund.

Speaking at the launch ceremony of the national COVID-19 vaccine fund on June 5, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that each coin donated to the fund is not only a contribution of material value, but also demonstrates the donor’s responsibility and effort to join hands with the Party, State and Government in the fight against COVID-19. It is also vivid evidence that the fund is truly one of kindness, solidarity, trust and love amongst the people to overcome their difficulties together, contributing to securing final victory over the Covid-19 pandemic.

More than ever, every citizen in the country places absolute trust in Party, State and Government and is willing to contribute to the victory.