The Ministry of Health has just allowed Ho Chi Minh City to use the batch of one million doses of Sinopharm's Covid-19 vaccine Vero Cell for its current vaccination campaign.
Ho Chi Minh City aims to vaccinate 70 percent of people aged 18 and above by the end of August.
The permission was given after the ministry conducted tests on the quality of the Chinese vaccine.
The batch was sent to Vietnam on July 31 as part of a deal to acquire five million doses by the state-owned Saigon Pharmaceutical Group in HCM City. They were partially paid for by money donated by a local firm.
After receiving the vaccine, Vice-chairman of HCM City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc submitted an official document to the Ministry of Health, seeking permission to share some with other provinces.
Speaking at a Tuesday meeting, Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam who is head of the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control said the government would prioritise vaccine supply for some southern localities which are heavily affected by the virus. And Ho Chi Minh City aims to vaccinate 70 percent of its residents aged 18 and above within this month.
HCMC has so far received over 4.1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses out 19 million available in Vietnam, and has administered 3.4 million doses. The city is carrying out vaccination day and night and is predicted to finish the allocated vaccines by August 12.