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The total include 4.88 million doses provided via COVAX, a global mechanism for ensuring countries’ equal access to vaccines as they become available, and 204,000 imported doses of COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca.

With these doses, more than five million people will get the first shots and they are supposed to receive the second shots three months later.

Along with external sources, Viet Nam has also stepped up efforts in vaccine research and development, with Nano Covax becoming the first homegrown vaccine to have completed the phase 1 human trials.

It is expected that the final phase of human trials would be completed in early 2022.

At a meeting on COVID-19 response on Monday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said importing COVID-19 vaccines should be a central priority of the Government.

Viet Nam has faced the third wave of local COVID-9 transmissions since January 27, 2021, with 755 cases recorded in 13 cities and provinces, in which Hai Duong is the current biggest hotspot.

As of 6:20pm on Thursday, the Southeast Asian country confirmed 2,347 cases, including 1,605 recoveries, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control led by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam./.