Vietnamplus

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for countries to proactively boost vaccine manufacturing capacity and Vietnam is not an exception, according to experts.

Vietnam is seeing a great opportunity to access the mRNA technology for vaccine production, said Patrick Haverman, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Vietnam, at a workshop held by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Health Strategy and Policy Institute (HSPI) under the Ministry of Health in Hanoi on May 22.

A roadmap to establish Vietnam as a regional vaccine production hub was highlighted at a workshop organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Health Strategy and Policy Institute (HSPI) under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health in Hanoi on May 22.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh made important proposals for the international community to achieve the goal of universal COVID-19 vaccination in his pre-recorded speech sent to the High-level thematic debate entitled “Galvanizing momentum for universal vaccination" of the UN General Assembly on February 25 (US time).

A factory producing Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 will be built in Vietnam within one year and is expected to produce 30-40 million doses annually, Chairman of Russian pharmaceutical company Binnopharm Dmitry Zubov told Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Russia.

Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto has encouraged ASEAN, including Indonesia, to become a hub for the production of mRNA-based vaccines.

Vietnamese pharmaceutical company VABIOTECH and Sovico Group signed a cooperation agreement with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on the supply and production of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in Vietnam in Moscow on December 2 with the witness of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has lauded close ties between the Paris-based Pasteur Institute and Pasteur institutes in Vietnam, including support in COVID-19 testing technique, costs and supervision over the past time.

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on November 1 launched the National Vaccine Development Roadmap (PPVN) and Malaysian Genome and Vaccine Institute (MGVI) in an effort to turn the country into a vaccine production hub and boost local confidence in vaccine use.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has approved a national science-technology programme for promoting studies and production of human vaccines by 2030.

Vietnam is set to master the production technology of 10 vaccines used for humans and be capable of producing at least three by 2025, according to a national sci-tech programme on human vaccine production research by 2030 freshly approved by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has proposed the Russian Government to support the acceleration of COVID-19 vaccine production technology transfer to Vietnam in a bid to ensure a stable and sustainable supply.

Belgium’s biotechnology company Univercells can access and provide vaccines for Southeast Asia in particular and Asia at large through cooperation in Vietnam, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien has affirmed.

Vietnam may be able to produce a COVID-19 vaccine in September if everything goes smoothly, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told scientists, units and businesses participating in vaccine production and research at a meeting on August 12.

ASEAN foreign ministers on August 4 called for making COVID-19 vaccines available and affordable to all as global public goods.

Indonesia is keen to start long-term cooperation with the US in the health sector, including possible co-development of mRNA vaccines to protect against COVID-19.

Conglomerate Vingroup has signed an agreement with Arcturus Therapeutics medicines biotechnology company of the US on the transfer of COVID-19 vaccine production technology.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 27 evening engaged in a phone talk with First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi has suggested the Federation Council of Russia further promote bilateral cooperation in COVID-19 prevention and control, especially the transfer of vaccine production technology and supply of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam as soon as possible in the context that Vietnam is struggling with the fourth wave of infections.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has assigned the Ministry of Science and Technology to coordinate the research and production of COVID-19 vaccines within the national product development programme by 2030 amid complicated developments of the pandemic nationwide.