On 18 June, EuroCham held a webinar to inform its members about what has happened since EuroCham began its campaign to encourage the acceleration of and support for the vaccination roll out in Vietnam.
More than 300 members joined the webinar, entitled ‘EuroCham Vaccination Campaign Update’. It featured as special guest speakers EuroCham Chairman Alain Cany, Vice-Chair Nguyen Hai Minh, and Dr. Jean-Marcel Guillon, CEO of FV Hospital.
Introducing the event, Alain Cany described the initiatives EuroCham has taken so far in dialogue with the government. These included letters from Sector Committees on issues such as the roll out of a mass vaccination campaign, prioritization for front-line workers, and the impact of quarantine on the tourism sector. EuroCham has also launched a campaign to encourage a mass vaccination program – with the involvement of the private sector – as well as a reduction in quarantine requirements for foreign workers who have had a jab in their home countries.
Mr. Cany then shared EuroCham’s view on the current situation. He said that Vietnam has done well in securing orders for vaccines – around 130 million so far – through a combination of different suppliers such as AstraZeneca and COVAX as well as donations from other governments. This should be enough to vaccinate most of the adult population. To date, less than 100,000 people have received both shots. However, deliveries of vaccinations should increase from next month, with more than 5 million sets to arrive; rising to around 10 million a month from August onwards.
In terms of sourcing, Mr. Cany shared that this is a ‘government-to-government’ affair. EuroCham tried to investigate the possibilities of the private sector securing vaccines at the start of the fourth wave; however, it is clear that suppliers are dealing directly with governments and not with private companies. For this reason, EuroCham set up a meeting with EU Member State embassies to brief them on our campaign and to ask for their assistance in helping Vietnam to secure more vaccinations.
In terms of logistics, Mr. Cany emphasized that EuroCham is pushing for the private sector to be involved in the roll out and deliveries of vaccines. Meanwhile, EuroCham continues to advocate for a reduction in quarantine for foreigners who have received the vaccine in their home countries.
Mr. Minh then provided an update on EuroCham’s engagement with the government. He shared that EuroCham has coordinated its efforts with local and foreign business communities including VCCI and other local business associations. Together, EuroCham has emphasized that private enterprises wish to cover the cost of vaccinating their own workforce, rather than procuring vaccines ourselves. Mr. Minh then shared some feedback from the government, which has cautioned against some companies advertising the private sale of vaccines. In terms of Vietnam’s vaccination fund, Mr. Minh shared with them the difficulties that companies have in contributing to a government fund. In response, the government has promised to look at this issue in order to find the best solution.
Later, Dr. Guillon described how FV Hospital has been working with the government in order to prepare the ground for a mass vaccination campaign, including preparing storage facilities and mobile vaccination units. He shared that mass vaccination in large urban areas requires these facilities – air-conditioned tents with pre-screening and nurses to administer the shots – to prevent long queues at vaccination centers. Dr. Guillon also emphasized that vaccines have a shelf-life, and so must be used within a few months of their arrival in Vietnam. Therefore, the program needs to be rolled out at speed. He concluded that these vaccinations are safe and effective against all current strains of the virus.