Vietnam looks to diversify sources of COVID-19 vaccines: FM spokesperson
Vietnam continues seeking and diversifying its COVID-19 vaccine sources by working with nations such as the US, India and China, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said at a regular press conference held on March 25.
Giving COVID-19 vaccine shot to a medical worker (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi, (VNA) – Vietnam continues seeking and diversifying its COVID-19 vaccine sources by working with nations such as the US, India and China, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman LeThi Thu Hang said at a regular press conference held on March 25.
According to her, the work aims at increasing the rate of vaccinecoverage among Vietnamese people.
Apart from imported vaccines, Vietnam is promoting theresearch and development of domestically produced vaccines, which are expectedto put in use as early as 2022 to ensure the country’s supply, healthsecurity and response to the pandemic.
Currently, two Vietnamese candidate vaccines are under humantrials in line with the Ministry of Health’s related process and regulations.
On February 26, the Government issued Resolution No 21/NQ-CPregarding COVID-19 vaccine purchase and use. It identifies nine priority groups in the COVID-19 vaccination plan, including peopleat the frontline of the fight against the epidemic; Vietnamese diplomats sent to foreign countries; customs personnel; teachers and others working ateducational facilities; and people working at administrative agencies withregular contacts with a large number of people.
Hang also cited data from the National Expanded Programme onImmunisation, which showed that as of March 21, over 35,000 Vietnamese had been vaccinated against COVID-19./.
Standing members of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control have discussed the preparation of technical and policy solutions to implement the “COVID-19 vaccine passport” scheme while ensuring the principle of “safety first”.
Vietnam could reopen to foreign tourists from this July, a Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) representative suggested, noting that the COVID-19 outbreak has been basically brought under control and vaccination campaigns are underway in the country and many others around the world.
Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, and some ambassadors of EU member countries on March 23 affirmed the safety of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
As of 16:00 on March 23, Vietnam had administered the COVID-19 vaccine to 37,911 people who are frontline medical workers, and members of community-based anti-COVID-19 groups and steering committees for COVID-19 prevention and control.
It is necessary to conduct proper and timely COVID-19 vaccination to ensure safety, towards the vaccination for the whole population, while considering and accessing different vaccine sources and continuing to research and develop domestically-made vaccines so that the vaccines can be put into use in 2022, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has directed.
The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility cannot be delivered to Vietnam as planned in late March as producers are expanding and optimising production process, the Ministry of Health’s Department of Preventive Medicine has said.
The Military Medical University under the Ministry of National Defence on March 25 began giving the second shots of the Nano Covax COVID-19 vaccine in the second trial phase to 26 volunteers who receive the first jabs between February 26 and March 10.
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.