Vietnam-developed COVID-19 vaccine candidates now in clinical trials: official

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – All the three COVID-19 vaccine candidates Vietnam is developing are currently in the stage of clinical trials, and if they are qualified as assessed by the ethics and advisory councils, the Ministry of Health (MoH) will grant licenses, an official has said.

Speaking at the Government’s regular press meeting on April 4, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen said the three vaccine candidates are Nano Covax, Covivac, and ARCT-154.

Nano Covax has reached the third phase’s mid-term review. Its producer, Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, is supplementing data to its dossier at the request of the advisory council, which will convene more meetings on this candidate’s eligibility.

Covivac, developed by the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals, is undergoing second-phase assessment and prepared to enter third-phase clinical trials.

Meanwhile, ARCT-154, the first to be produced using the mRNA technology in Vietnam, of the VinBioCare Biotechnology JSC already underwent mid-term review of clinical trials on the first 1,000 volunteers and is now in Phase 3b.

As these are human vaccines, they must ensure high safety and need full research and assessment, Tuyen noted.

The Government’s regular press meeting on April 4 (Photo: VNA)

Regarding COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 - 11, he said the Government had issued a resolution on buying 21.9 million doses. While discussing the purchase with Pfizer, some countries and organisations expressed their willingness to donate vaccines for children.

On April 3, the MoH had meetings with the Australian Embassy and Pfizer, both of which agreed to deliver vaccines to Vietnam as soon as possible. The authorised vaccines for children consist of Pfizer and Moderna.

The Australian Embassy expected that if procedures are completed quickly, the first batch of Moderna vaccine can be handed over as early as April 10, according to the official.

He added a recent survey by the MoH’s Health Strategy and Policy Institute shows that the rate of parents agreeing on the vaccination for children aged 5 - 11 varies, from 60 to 80 percent. Given this, the ministry has devised a communications plan and organised training so that child vaccination can be carried out as soon as vaccines are available./.

VNA