Japan to give 6 million additional doses of vaccines to Taiwan, Vietnam and other Asean nations

A vial of the AstraZeneca Plc Covid-19 vaccine, donated by Japan, at the FPT Software Co. facility in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Monday, June 21, 2021. Vietnam's health ministry said the country will have nearly 125 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines this year, according to the government's website. - Bloomberg

TOKYO, June 26 (Reuters): Japan has announced that it would send 2 million additional doses of AstraZeneca Plc's Covid-19 vaccine to Taiwan and Vietnam and arrangements were being made to send 1 million doses each to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The direct donations, which should help Japan to increase its diplomatic influence in Asia, come as wealthy nations are being pushed to provide more doses to the global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX to cover a 200-million dose shortfall.