A vinyl acetate copolymer comprising the following general structure <IMAGE> where R is hydrogen or methyl; R1 is a C6-C18 hydrocarbyl group not containing an olefinic functionality; y is 92 to 99.5 mole %; and z is 0.5 to 8 mole %. The vinyl acetate copolymer is hydrolyzed to provide a vinyl alcohol copolymer that can be thermoplastically processed into shaped articles possessing good oxygen gas barrier properties.
