Vietnam aims to have domestic COVID-19 vaccine produced by 2021

ABO/NDO – Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan has stressed that Vietnam aims to have a domestic COVID-19 vaccine produced by 2021.

The official made the statement at an online meeting of the special working group on the clinical trial research and development of COVID-19 vaccines on July 17, attracting the participation of vaccine experts, researchers, and vaccine clinical trial units.

The participants agreed to promote the clinical trials of domestic COVID-19 vaccines: Nanocovax by Nanogen, and Covivac by the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) while fostering the transfer of vaccine production technologies.

At the meeting of the special working group on the clinical trial research and development of COVID-19 vaccines.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan emphasised that COVID-19 vaccine is an issue that has the constant attention from the leaders of both Party and State, and the Prime Minister has invited WHO experts to Vietnam to assist with COVID-19 vaccine research and production, thus seeking more autonomy to accelerate the country’s vaccination drive.

The Deputy Minister also asked members of the special working group, and functional departments of the Ministry of Health to provide maximum support to vaccine research and production facilities.

* 19 southern localities stricken by the COVID-19 pandemic began social distancing in line with the Prime Mister’s Directive No. 16/CT-TTg on July 19.

The localities have been promptly provided with guidelines and scenarios from the Ministry of Health for the implementation of COVID-19 prevent and control measures, which focus on testing and the early detection of infections, said Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long on June 17.

The localities were requested to raise their testing capacity and ulitise rapid antigen testing to screen and isolate new infection cases from the community early, thus reducing the spread of the pandemic.

Regarding treatment, the localities were asked to categorise patients into three different levels. Accordingly, patients with no symptoms or mild symptoms will be treated at local hospitals while patients who may progress into severe cases can access provincial-level hospitals. Localities must establish their own resuscitation centres to provide treatment for severely ill COVID-19 patients.

Regarding medical equipment, the Health Minister will ensure adequate equipment for COVID-19 prevention and control in the 19 localities.

(Source: NDO)