New York Times recently published an article on a strain of COVID being detected in Vietnam, triggering a spike of cases and a potential new outbreak. This article, that states that “[Vietnam’s] luck may be running out,” is racist, condescending, and fails to mention the West’s role in needlessly spreading the virus and slow vaccine rollout in the Global South.
Vietnam’s success in containing COVID-19 is due to the government’s diligent and proactive measures — precautions were set in place as early as Jan. 2020 and borders were closed for travel in Mar. 2020. Furthermore, the people of Vietnam have immense trust in their government and have been especially compliant in following guidelines in order to keep themselves and their communities safe.
In contrast, Western governments, like the US, continue to value profit over human life. Americans continue to act selfishly by traveling internationally — which is even more despicable considering that the US and its allies is actively hoarding and withholding vaccines from the Global South.
A potential new outbreak in Vietnam combined with its slow vaccination rollout is another consequence of Western imperialism.
Vietnam is continuing to act swiftly, having opened a special fund that “will be responsible for arranging financial resources and materials for the procurement, production and the use of vaccines.”
We have included information on how to donate in Slide 8.
Sources in our Twitter thread:
The key to Viet Nam’s successful COVID-19 response: A UN Resident Coordinator blog by UN News
Why China’s Vaccine Internationalism Matters by Qiao Collective
WHO rules out new ‘hybrid’ COVID variant in Vietnam – Nikkei by Reuters
Information on slide 8 in text
Account Number:
21110009116868 (VND), 21110371116868 (USD), and 21110142996868 (EUR)
Swift Code: BIDVVNVX
Bank Name and Address:
Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam JSC, Hanoi Branch
4B Le Thanh Tong Street, Phan Chu Trinh Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
