Vietnam to receive 204,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine on February 28

Xuan Thinh Thursday | 02/18/2021 14:54

The first batch of COVID-19 vaccine shots is scheduled to arrive in Vietnam on February 28. Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP

The first batch of COVID-19 vaccine shots is scheduled to arrive in Vietnam on February 28. The vaccine will be used for urgent need of pandemic control, Ministry of Health says.

Earlier the Drug Administration of Vietnam under Ministry of Health approved the import of 204,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine provided by AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical Company.

The vaccine is produced by SK Bioscience. AstraZeneca vaccine is the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for import into Vietnam. This is a vaccine researched and developed by AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical Company and Oxford University.

The vaccine has currently been licensed for one year or conditional importation in the Philippines, Thailand, UK, Vietnam and some other countries.

The country will receive between 4.8 to 8.2 million free AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses supplied by COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX). It is expected that about 25-35% will be provided in the first quarter and 65-75% in the second quarter of 2021.

COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) is co-led by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and others, says the Ministry of Health.

Vietnam is one of the countries in Southeast Asia that has relatively good access to COVID-19 vaccine.

The country has four domestic COVID-19 vaccines developed by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals, the Vaccine and Biological Production Company No. 1 and the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals.

Nanocovax, produced by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, has finished its first phase of human trials and is expected to begin the second one this month while the Covivac of the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals is expected to undergo human trials this month.

As of Thursday morning, Vietnam reported no new infection. The country has reported 2,329 COVID-19 cases, with 1,580 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

A total of 737 domestic infections have been recorded in 13 provinces and cities across the country since January 27.