Made-in-Vietnam COVID-19 vaccine to begin human trial from December 10
Vietnam will conduct the first phase of human trials of a locally made COVID-19 vaccine from December 10, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said at a meeting with Vietnamese vaccine producers on December 5.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long (standing) at the meeting with Vietnamese vaccine producers on December 5 (Photo: VNA).
Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam will conduct the first phase of human trialsof a locally made COVID-19 vaccine from December 10, Minister of Health NguyenThanh Long said at a meeting with Vietnamese vaccine producers on December 5.
To date, Vietnamese producers have worked to accelerate the research of COVID-19vaccines, with Ivac, Vabiotech and Nanogen completing production process atlaboratory scale and currently evaluating the vaccines’ safety and immunity inanimals. Meanwhile, Nanogen is now ready to pilot the first phase of humantrial.
Nanogen will join hands with the Military Medical University to recruitvolunteers for the first phase of clinical trial on December 10.
At the meeting, experts and vaccine producers discussed progress of vaccine productionand challenges during vaccine development, as well as outline solutions for thetime ahead.
Laying stress on the significance of COVID-19 vaccine production, Long said theministry has promoted domestic research and production while enhancing cooperation withinternational vaccine developers so as to gain early access to vaccine sources.
He urged localvaccine producers to speed up their work in order to launch human trial soon, and pledged support for the producers, including minimising administrativeprocedures and facilitating product registration and licensing.
The Ministry of Health will work with competent agencies to help producers getaccess to capital for vaccine development and production, he added.
Long requested vaccine producer Polivac to continue with its research on COVID-19 vaccine,while coordinating with Russia and China to leverage access to vaccine suppliers in the two nations./.
Vietnam recorded no new COVID-19 case on December 4, keeping the national tally at 1,361, according to the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
By harnessing the will and power of each nation and strengthening solidarity and cooperation, the international community will win the battle against COVID-19, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in his message to the UN General Assembly’s special session on COVID-19 response.
Vietnam recorded four new COVID-19 cases from 6pm of December 4 to 6pm of December 5, all Vietnamese and imported, bringing the national tally to 1,365, according to the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
Hanoi authorities on December 5 recorded two coronavirus-positive patients, including a man who again tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 after being discharged from hospital in Dong Da district, and a diplomat entering Vietnam and under stay-at-home quarantine in Bac Tu Liem district.
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.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long (standing) at the meeting with Vietnamese vaccine producers on December 5 (Photo: VNA). 
