523,200 doses of the Astra Zeneca/Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine from the COVAX Facility Arrive in Lao PDR

Vientiane, 31 October 2021 - Lao PDR today received a new shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility, a partnership co-lead by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), with UNICEF as key delivery partner, consisting of 523,200 doses of the Astra Zeneca/Oxford vaccine.

The arrival of this latest shipment is part of the COVAX Facility’s ongoing efforts to ensure global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and follows a recent donation of COVID-19 vaccines to Lao PDR through the COVAX Facility, which was made in August 2021 by the Government of Japan.

These doses will be used by the Government of Lao PDR to further drive its ongoing efforts to vaccinate the Lao population against COVID-19 and reach its goal of 50 per cent vaccination coverage in the country by the end of this year.

The vaccines will be primarily used for those who are at high risk of severe COVID-19 but have not received all recommended doses yet. At the current vaccination stage, the priority groups include elderly aged 60 years or above, people with underlying health conditions, pregnant people, healthcare workers and essential workers like school teachers and staff across the country in line with the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan.