Overview

Ensuring access to safe and effective vaccines is a key element of Vietnam's response to and recovery from COVID-19. Australia has committed a comprehensive package of support (2020-23) for Vietnam's COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, drawing from Australia's regional COVID-19 vaccine access and health security initiative, Australia's contribution to the Quad vaccine partnership and our bilateral development program. Under this package we have shared more than 26.4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with Vietnam, worked in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to bolster systems for vaccine delivery and shared technical expertise from Australia. Our bilateral support is complemented by Australia's $215 million contribution to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, which is providing vaccines to lower-income countries across the world.

Results to date

• Australia has shared more than 26.4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with Vietnam, including 15.6 million doses for paediatric use.
• Australia has strengthened COVID-19 vaccine delivery systems in partnership with UNICEF. Activities include:
  • procurement and delivery of five refrigerated trucks to help ensure vaccines are transported efficiently and safely across the country;
  • procurement and distribution of 1,910 refrigerators to upgrade Vietnam's cold chain storage and boost capacity for remote and hard-to-reach communities
  • assisting MOH to establish COVID-19 immunisation guidelines and protocols
  • procurement of five million syringes;
  • training of 5,823 health care workers, teachers from medical universities, and military officers to support the delivery of safe and effective vaccines;
  • development and dissemination of COVID-19 communications materials to 20,000 vaccination sites across the country to promote vaccine uptake;
  • online surveys to improve knowledge on behavioural and social drivers behind the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations;
  • providing funding for 29 provinces to deploy 5003 mobile and home vaccination teams to reach vulnerable populations, such as ethnic minority populations living in remote villages, the elderly and people with disability;
  • enlisting social media influencers including those from ethnic minority groups and people with disability, to reach vulnerable populations, and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.