Government establishes working group on COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy
A government working group on COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, has been set up under a decision signed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
A representative of UNICEF in Vietnam receives the batch of COVID-19 vaccine at Noi Bai International Airport (Photo: UNICEF/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) –A government working group on COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy, led by Minister ofForeign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, has been set up under a decision signed by PrimeMinister Pham Minh Chinh.
The team is tasked with mobilising donated vaccines, treatment drugs, andmedical supplies for COVID-19 prevention and control, and technology transferfor vaccine and drug production from bilateral and multilateral partners.
It will also seek,support, and promote negotiations, import and reception of COVID-19 vaccines,treatment drugs, medical supplies as well as vaccine and drug production technology transfer.
The group will also submit recommendations to the Prime Minister with the aim of accessing these items as much as possible in the fastest and earliest way.
At the same time, theteam will actively approach and hold dialogues, and support negotiations with partners and producers of vaccines, drugs and medical supplies, who are capable of transferring their technologiesto Vietnam./.
Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long has asked for close collaboration between the medical sector and the army as vaccines will come in great quantity and need to be preserved in strict conditions in the near future.
Vietnam’s second homegrown candidate vaccine Covivac began the second stage of clinical trials in the northern province of Thai Binh’s Vu Thu district on August 11 with the screening testing to choose qualified volunteers.
Vietnam administered over 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine on August 10, the highest one-day increase since the country starts its vaccination campaign on March 8, according to the health ministry's report on August 11.
The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has assigned State-owned Saigon Pharmaceutical Group (Sapharco) to negotiate and sign contracts to purchase five million doses of Moderna vaccine MRNA-1273.
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.
France has decided to share 670,000 doses of COVID-19 Astra Zeneca vaccine with Vietnam via the COVAX Facility, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter on August 12.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
A representative of UNICEF in Vietnam receives the batch of COVID-19 vaccine at Noi Bai International Airport (Photo: UNICEF/VNA) 
