Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requests ministries and agencies to pay special care for research and transfer of production technology so that COVID-19 vaccines could be produced in Viet Nam at the earliest. 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs a working session with leaders of
several ministries, agencies and vaccine research and development facilities,
Ha Noi, July 23, 2021. Photo: VGP

The request was made by the Government chief at his working session with leaders of several ministries, agencies and vaccine research and development facilities in Ha Noi on Friday.

Pham tasked the Ministry of Health to coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to issue regulations on financial assistance in activities related to research, transfer and production of vaccines.

He also tasked the Ministry of Health to establish a working group to coordinate with experts from the World Health Organization in evaluating COVID-19 vaccines to be produced in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam is carrying out a vaccine strategy with a focus on import of vaccines, research and transfer of production technology, and organization of free vaccination.

According to the Ministry of health, two out of four domestic vaccine candidates under different phases of human trials are Nanocovax and Covivac, respectively developed by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC (Nanogen) and the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC).

Nanocovax is currently the most promising candidate, with the third and final phase of human trials scheduled to complete on August 15, 2021.

On transfer of production technology, three Vietnamese companies have approached and negotiated technology transfer deals with foreign vaccine producers in the U.S., Japan, and Russia. If things go smoothly, Viet Nam could start producing 200-300 million vaccine doses per year./.