Efforts required to effectively use allocated AstraZeneca vaccine doses
The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) under the Ministry of Health recently sent a dispatch to the Departments of Health, Centres for Disease Control of provinces and cities on strengthening the implementation of vaccination and supplementation of AstraZeneca vaccine against the COVID-19 pandemic from April to June.
A woman gets vaccinated against COVID-19 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE)under the Ministry of Health recently sent a dispatch to theDepartments of Health, Centres for Disease Control of provinces and cities onstrengthening the implementation of vaccination and supplementation of AstraZenecavaccine against the COVID-19 pandemic from April to June.
The institute, which stores COVID-19 vaccines beforedistribution to localities, asked provinces and cities’ health authorities toreview the list of people that should get vaccines to have an estimate of theamount of doses needed.
In February, NIHE allocated 832,900 doses of AstraZenecavaccine with an expiration date of July 9 and July 11 to the 63 provincesand cities nationwide as booster shots for people aged from18.
Over 266 million doses have been administered nationwide, ofwhich about 51.6 million people aged 18 and older have received the third dose,equivalent to 81%. However, this rate is not uniform across the country andthere are still many localities with booster coverage below 80%.
Currently, the number of AstraZeneca vaccines remaining atlocal level storage facilities (not including 204,400 doses in the nationalreserve) is about 300,000. The rate of vaccinations in the first eight days ofApril 2023 is slow, averaging about 1,040 doses per day, which means a lotmight go unused.
According to statistics from the Health Ministry, from April10-16, Vietnam reported 3,325 new COVID-19 cases – the highest in aweek since the beginning of this year. In the past more than 3 months, thecountry has recorded no fatality.
Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Department of PreventiveMedicine, said that in the coming time, the number of new cases may be on therise.
He stressed the need to protect vulnerable groups such asthe elderly, people with underlying diseases, and pregnant women./.
More than 236 trillion VND (10 billion USD) had been mobilised to directly serve the COVID-19 prevention and control as of December 31, 2022, according to a report by a National Assembly (NA) supervisory delegation.
Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai on April 12 received Pascal Soriot, CEO of the UK-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology company AstraZeneca, who is on a visit to the southern metropolis of Vietnam to discuss ways for fostering bilateral cooperation.
The Ministry of Health on April 12 sent an urgent dispatch on strengthening the prevention and control of COVID-19 to the People's Committees of all 63 provinces and centrally-run cities.
The number of new COVID-19 cases is on the rise again, with those infected with Omicron variant making up the majority, and mainly concentrating in the northern region - where the season is changing, Prof. Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Health Ministry's Department of Preventive Medicine reported at a press conference on April 13.
Despite storm-related disruptions and flight delays, the organs were successfully transported via a combination of air and ground travel. All patients are currently stable and recovering well.
The patient, Tieu Viet But, born in 1970 and residing in Binh Tri commune, Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, was working aboard fishing vessel Qng – 95657TS when the incident occurred at 7:00 am.
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
To achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045, Vietnam is prioritising the integration of AI and digital tools into the training of future doctors, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dean of Medicine at University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi.
Health experts called for collective disease prevention and integrated solutions to achieve zero dengue deaths in the country at an online talk show on June 14.
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
The project aimed to enable early detection and reduce the risk of dangerous complications, targeting patients with chronic diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders.
A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
All eligible patients will receive surgical interventions and post-operative care in accordance with Vietnamese medical standards and global care protocols.
Medical screenings and surgical interventions for children with disabilities are being carried out at health centers across Dien Bien. So far this year, 242 children have been identified for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and the provision of assistive devices.
The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
A woman gets vaccinated against COVID-19 (Photo: VNA) 
