Vietnam plans comprehensive vaccine industry growth focused on Covid-19
Vietnam plans comprehensive vaccine industry growth focused on Covid-19
The Vietnamese government is planning a comprehensive development boost to the industry involving Covid-19 vaccine research, technology transfer, and producing vaccines that meet international standards.
A researcher holds up a vial containing the Vietnamese Nanocovax Covid-19 vaccine at a production facility in HCMC. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.
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It has entrusted the Ministry of Health with making a plan for establishing a center for Covid-19 vaccine research, technology transfer and vaccine production. Policies will be issued to attract investment in Covid-19 vaccine research from enterprises and organizations.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested that a domestic Covid-19 vaccine be available before June 2022.
The government has also directed that the Covid-19 vaccine fund, set up in May for buying Covid-19 vaccines from abroad and supporting production of made-in-Vietnam vaccines, is used effectively.
The fund is part of efforts to meet the target of securing 150 million vaccine doses to inoculate 70 percent of Vietnam’s 98-million population.
The health ministry’s vaccine research and producing company, Vaccine and Biological Production No. 1 (VABIOTECH), is in charge of technology transfer for the production of Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V.
The technology transfer will be conducted in two phases. First, Vietnam will import semi-finished doses and complete the process using local staff, equipment and facilities with guidance from a Russian partner. In the second phase, the partner will transfer the necessary technology to produce the vaccine from scratch, and Vietnam aims to produce 100-150 million doses per year.
The country has inoculated about 3.5 million people since March, with more than 182,000 receiving two shots.
