Vietnam hopes for more int'l support in accessing COVID-19 vaccines
Vietnam hopes to receive more support from international organisations and countries around the world to access more sources of COVID-19 vaccines, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long told at an online meeting with representatives from the COVAX Facility scheme (COVAX) and health officials from a number of countries on June 1.
A health worker is giving COVID-19 vaccination shot to a man (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam hopes to receive more support from internationalorganisations and countries around the world to access more sources ofCOVID-19 vaccines, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long told at an online meetingwith representatives from the COVAX Facility scheme (COVAX) and healthofficials from a number of countries on June 1.
During his remarks, Minister Long, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government,highly valued the initiative of the Global Alliance for Vaccineand Immunization (GAVI) and the World Health Organisation(WHO) in establishing the scheme with the goal of providing 2 billion doses of COVID-19vaccines in 2021, and ensuring fair and equal access to COVID-19 vaccines forall countries.
He urged COVAX to accelerate the supply of vaccines for Vietnam, noting thatthe country is witnessing the increasing number of locally-transmittedCOVID-19 infections, especially in industrial parks.
Vietnam is actively promoting the purchase of technology, receiving technologytransfer for vaccine production to be able to self-produce vaccines servinglocal people, Long said.
According to the minister, Vietnam has so far received nearly 2.6 million dosesof COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX out of a total of 38.9 million doses committed by it in 2021.
Vietnam is urgently carrying out its vaccination campaign in line with the planapproved by COVAX Facility, he noted.
Vietnam is committed to participating in the technology transfer chain forvaccine production, he said, adding that the country will invest in a vaccineproduction factory, which is expected to be licensed for production to supply vaccines to COVAXFacility and other countries.
Minister Long announced that Vietnamwill contribute 500,000 USD to the COVAX Facility scheme. This support shows appreciation for the effectiveness of this global initiativein responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and affirms the Vietnamese Government’scommitment to engaging strongly in the programme, he stressed.
The Vietnamese health official thanked COVAX Facility,international organisations and countries around the world for supportingVietnam in accessing vaccines in the framework of the scheme and other vaccinesources, expressing his hope that with the cooperation of theworld community, COVAX will realise its goal, contributing to pushing back the global pandemic with vaccines.
COVAX Facility – a mechanism set up by the WHO,GAVI, UNICEF, the Coalition for Epidemic PreparednessInnovations (CEPI), and manufacturers and partners forthe development of vaccines to ensure that all countrieshave fair and effective access to vaccines.
According to an announcement from UNICEF, theCOVAX Facility has committed to supplying Vietnam with 30 million doses ofAstraZeneca vaccine this year./.
Minister of Heath Nguyen Thanh Long on May 28 received 185 billion VND (8.01 million USD) in donations from businesses for Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested the UK Government continue its support to Vietnam in finance, technology, and experience in transitioning towards a low-carbon economy, while receiving Alok Sharma, British Cabinet Minister and President of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26), in Hanoi on May 28.
Vietnam must apply the principle of "5K plus vaccine and technology" in preventing and controlling COVID-19 to ensure that the pandemic is curbed early and remotely, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on May 30 sent a letter to his US counterpart Joe Biden to discuss bilateral relations, especially the enhancement of cooperation in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
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 health worker is giving COVID-19 vaccination shot to a man (Photo: VNA) 
