First 204,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to be delivered in late February
The Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health has approved the import of the first 204,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine of the UK for emergency use.
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine of the UK (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA)𓆏 - TheDrug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health has approved the import of the first 204,000doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine of the UK for emergencyuse.
This is the first batch of Vietnam’sorder of 30 million doses of the vaccine bought directly from the manufacturer(with phased delivery throughout 2021), in addition to 4.88 million dosesthat the country is receiving under the WHO-led COVAX initiative aimed atequitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, especially for poor and developingcountries. The batch isexpected to be delivered by AstraZeneca Vietnam on February 28.
The company isresponsible for the origin, quality of the imported vaccine and the vaccine is used for the right purposes and in a safe and effective manner, theadministration’s document approving the import noted.
Previously,Vietnamese health authorities have given emergency use approval for theCOVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca, the first COVID-19 vaccine to obtain suchauthorisation in the country.
Related agenciesare still in talks with the company for larger supply to Vietnam to ensureinoculation for its near 100 million population.
Vietnam optedfor the Oxford/Zeneca vaccine mostly because it could be stored at normalfridge temperatures of 2-8 degrees Celsius, instead of stringent super coldstorage conditions like its Moderna and Pfizer counterparts, according to LeVan Truyen, Chairman of the Advisory Council for the Granting of Drug RegistrationNumbers.
The company hasalso cooperated with several countries in Europe and Asia to produce thevaccines, Truyen said.
Vietnam has onelocally-made COVID-19 vaccine, Nanocovax, in the second phase human trials, withanother expected to start at the end of February.
𒅌 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucat a recent cabinet meeting has said that importing COVID-19 vaccines must beconsidered “the highest priority of the Government,” as the country is battlingits biggest wave of community infections, that has recorded over 700 casessince January 27./.
Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy has emphasised the need to offer COVID-19 vaccine to peacekeepers, particularly those at high risk, such as medical workers at field hospitals and forces operating in areas severely hit by the pandemic.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered the health sector to conduct all necessary measures to make COVID-19 vaccines available in Vietnam this month either through purchasing or from UN organisations.
Amid COVID-19-related developments, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered forces along the borders to stop all unauthorised cross-border traffic and ensure that anyone returning from Thailand follows quarantine rules.
Malaysia has secured a total of 66.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, enough to cover its entire population, according to a handbook setting out the country’s vaccination programme launched on February 16.
The Lotus Medical Centre, which was set up under a cooperative arrangement between Vietnam and Poland, has been licensed to conduct COVID-19 vaccinations in the European country.
Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations, has affirmed that Vietnam together with ASEAN member states and other WTO members support and congratulate Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her election as WTO General Director.
COVID-19 vaccines should be considered a shared asset of the international community, and delivered to countries at affordable prices, prioritising vulnerable groups and frontline workers in the pandemic combat, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said on February 17.
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.
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine of the UK (Photo: VNA) 
