Over 1.1 million doses of AstraZeneca arrive in Vietnam: VNVC
As many as 1,113,400 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on August 13 morning, according to the Vietnam Vaccine Company (VNVC).
AstraZeneca vaccine in Vietnam Vaccine Company's cold storage. (Photo from VNVC)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – As many as 1,113,400 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrivedin Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on August 13 morning,according to the Vietnam Vaccine Company (VNVC).
This is theeighth shipment from the VNVC’s order of 30 million doses with AstraZeneca, theentirety of which would be handed over to the Ministrty of Health at anot-for-profit price.
VNVC earlierstated that starting from July, each week, AstraZeneca would ship about 1million doses of vaccine to Vietnam, and the commitment has been largely kept.
To date, 5.5million doses, or nearly 20 percent of the deal, have been delivered, nearlysix months after the first batch reached Vietnam in late February.
VNVC said itwas also in talks with other vaccine manufacturers for potential deals.
With thelatest batch, Vietnam currently has received some 19 million doses of COVID-19vaccine in total, mostly AstraZeneca (11.5 million), Moderna (5 million), andSinopharm’s Vero Cell (1.5 million).
The Ministry ofHealth has warned that in the third quarter, deliveries would be few andfar between, and most of the vaccines from international commitments andpurchase deals would arrive in droves in the final quarter of the year.
Over 13million doses have been administered in Vietnam, with more than 1.1million people being fully vaccinated./.
Vietnam’s second homegrown candidate vaccine Covivac has began the second stage of clinical trials with the screening testing to choose qualified volunteers.
The Ministry of Information and Communications and Ministry of Health has called on localities to take full advantage of information technology to administer vaccinations rapidly and effectively.
Ho Chi Minh City, the current largest COVID-19 hotspot in Vietnam, has built a plan on intensifying pandemic fighting measures from August 15 to September 15, which is divided into two periods, from August 15-30 and September 1-9, with specific solutions designed for each periods, in order to realise the goal of putting the pandemic under control by September 15.
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.
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.
AstraZeneca vaccine in Vietnam Vaccine Company's cold storage. (Photo from VNVC) 
