Ministry asked to approve US, Russian COVID-19 vaccines
The Advisory Council for the Registration of Circulation of Drugs and Medicinal Ingredients under the Ministry of Health (MoH) has proposed that the Health Ministry approve the use of COVID-19 vaccines produced by Moderna Company of the US and JSC Generium Company of Russia, for urgent use in Vietnam.
Hanoi (VNA) – The Advisory Council forthe Registration of Circulation of Drugs and Medicinal Ingredients under theMinistry of Health (MoH) has proposed that the Health Ministry approve the use of COVID-19 vaccines produced by Moderna Company of the US and JSC GeneriumCompany of Russia, for urgent use in Vietnam.
Previously, in early February, the MoHofficially approved the AstraZenecaCOVID-19 vaccine of the UK.
The first vaccine batch, comprising 117,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, arrived in Vietnam on February 24. The first to receive vaccine shots will be priority groups, including health workers, forces participating in COVID-19 prevention and control activities; diplomats,customs and immigration officers; army and police forces; teachers; people over 65 years old; those providing essential services in thefields of aviation, transportation, tourism, electricity and water services; peoplewith chronic diseases; those wishing to go to work and study abroad; and residents in pandemic-hit areas in line with epidemiological indications.
Vaccination will start in early March, and 1.2 million more dosesmay be added to the programme in lateMarch.
Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said the ministry will secure 90million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from different sources in 2021.
The MoH is making every effort to carryout the vaccination drive, which is the biggest ever in the country, towards ensuring theschedule and coverage of the programme, Long stressed.
Regarding domestic production ofvaccine, the minister said all relevant stages are going as schedule.
𒁃 Vietnam expects to produce vaccines by 2022, he added./.
The Preventive Medicine Department at the Ministry of Health (MoH) is cooperating with other ministry agencies to license COVID-19 vaccines and build plans for distribution, together with monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the vaccine, a health expert has said.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has instructed the quick vaccination for people as more than 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccination will be conducted in line with the Government’s resolution, thus ensuring equal access to the vaccines, heard a recent meeting between the Health Ministry and WHO and UNICEF representatives.
The Foreign Ministry’s Press Department is discussing with the Health Ministry to make it easier for foreign reporters to cover news about vaccination for Vietnamese citizens in line with prevention and control regulations, according to spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang.
National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways have said they are well prepared for the transport of COVID-19 vaccines for local pandemic prevention.
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.
Ilustrative image (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
