The second batch of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Hanoi on April 1. (Photo by Dantri/Dtinews)

This is the first Covid-19 vaccine batch sent to the country following COVAX Facility's commitment to sponsor the vaccine for Vietnam and 92 other countries.

Deputy Minister of Health, Do Xuan Tuyen, chief representative of UNICEF, Rana Flowers, and representative of the WHO, Kidong Park, were present at the Noi Bai International Airport on Thursday morning to receive the vaccines which were then transferred to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for storage.

According to chief representative of UNICEF, Rana Flowers, due to production delays of the AstraZeneca AZD1222 vaccine produced by SK Bio and distributed through COVAX, the projected deliveries to many countries including Vietnam have been delayed, and the amounts sent have been adjusted.

COVAX has pledged to provide Vietnam with 30 million AstraZeneca vaccines and the first batch of 1.37 million doses was earlier planned to arrive in the country on March 25 but then faced the delay.

COVAX will continue to deliver a total of 4,176,000 more doses to Vietnam by the end of May.

Vietnam has also bought a total of 60 million doses of AstraZeneca. The country will continue to negotiate to buy 31 million doses of the Moderna vaccine and 60 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said they aimed to ensure about 150 million doses of vaccine for all residents in 2021.