Vietnam receives the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine

The vaccines will be used for more than 50,000 people with high infection risk, according to information from the government news portal.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health said more than 18.3 million people of 11 groups will get the vaccine. Health workers, diplomats and military personnel would be among the first to be vaccinated.

The first batch is part of 30 million doses the ordered the Vietnam Vaccine JSC to import.

The government has waived duties and the vaccines will get priority clearance to make sure they reach VNVC as fast as possible. The company has set up cold storage units in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hanoi to store three million doses at a time, VnExpress reported.

The country has confirmed 811 new COVID-19 cases since the latest outbreak started last month. The new infections account for about a third of the overall 2,403 infections. 35 deaths due to the virus have been reported.