Vietnam receives 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from COVAX
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a ceremony in Hanoi on October 4 to symbolically receive 1.5 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX Facility with the assistance from the US Government.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang (centre) symbolically receives 1.5 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX Facility with the assistance from the US Government on October 4. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairsheld a ceremony in Hanoi on October 4 to symbolically receive 1.5 million dosesof Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX Facility with the assistance from the US Government.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign AffairsDang Hoang Giang thanked the COVAX Facility and the US Government and peoplefor their timely support as Vietnam is accelerating its COVID-19 vaccine inoculation drive.
The assistance has helped Vietnam effectively control the pandemic and safely adapt to the “new normal,” he said, adding that COVAX has remaineda major provider of COVID-19 vaccines for Vietnam, supplying the country with atotal of 14 million doses so far; while the US has been COVAX’s top vaccinedonor, and Vietnam’s largest supplier with 7.5 million doses.
He also highly appreciated the effective support from UN agencies, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Children’sFund (UNICEF), and the US in medical supplies and capacity building forVietnamese health workers, saying Vietnam wishes to continue receiving suchimportant assistance as well as consultancy for its post-pandemic recoveryand socio-economic development in the coming time.
On behalf of the UN agencies, WHO Representative in Vietnam Dr.Kidong Park expressed his gratitude towards COVAX donors and highly spoke ofVietnam’s efforts to speed up vaccinations against COVID-19, particularly forpriority groups and in most-affected cities and provinces.
Park emphasised the need for Vietnam to further promote the “5K + vaccine” principle when the country resumes economic activities.
UNICEF Representative in Vietnam Rana Flowers, for her part,pledged to continue providing support for Vietnam, especially in taking students back to school and tackling social issues.
Christopher Klein, Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Vietnam, also affirmed that the US Government will continue assisting Vietnam and othercountries in overcoming the pandemic and building back better./.
Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN has underlined that it is necessary to enhance global solidarity, promote the production and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine at a reasonable cost in a timely and universal manner across the world.
Vietnam is set to master the production technology of 10 vaccines used for humans and be capable of producing at least three by 2025, according to a national sci-tech programme on human vaccine production research by 2030 freshly approved by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.
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.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang (centre) symbolically receives 1.5 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX Facility with the assistance from the US Government on October 4. (Photo: VNA)
