The Ministry of Health (MoH) was granted a total of VND21 billion on February 5 from Thaiholdings Joint Stock Company and LienVietPostBank as a means of supporting efforts to fund the purchase of vaccines as part of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and control work. 

Representatives from relevant agencies at the handover ceremony
(Photo: nhandan.com.vn)

During the handover ceremony, Health Minister Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long thanked the two firms for their timely financial assistance, which he said is pivotal in the country’s fight against the epidemic.

At present, the latest COVID-19 outbreak has spread to 11 provinces and cities nationwide as relevant units have exerted great efforts in an attempt to bring the epidemic under control.

Gaining access to COVID-19 vaccines is the healthcare sector’s priority, Minister Long noted. 
He also revealed that the MoH has sped up the research and production of domestic COVID-19 vaccines. Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, has recently completed its first phase of clinical trials of its produced vaccine Nano Covax and is now preparing to enter the second phase.
 
With regard to Covivac, the second homegrown Vietnamese vaccine developed by Nha Trang-based Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), the preclinical results have shown the vaccine to be feasible with high immunogenicity. 

The Minister has stated that despite the country’s capability to produce COVID-19 vaccines, the MoH has made great efforts to negotiate with vaccine manufacturing partners globally to access vaccines for epidemic prevention activities as soon as possible. 

Currently, Vietnam has signed an agreement with UK-based vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca, with the first batch of AstraZeneca vaccines expected to arrive in Vietnam in either late February or early March. 

Most notably, approximately 30 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine are anticipated to reach Vietnamese people by this June, Minister Long noted.