Vietnam to ensure “safety first” with “COVID-19 vaccine passport” scheme
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”.
Standing members of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control discuss the “COVID-19 vaccine passport” scheme (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Standing members of the NationalSteering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control have discussed the preparationof technical and policy solutions to implement the “COVID-19 vaccine passport” schemewhile ensuring the principle of “safety first”.
Addressing the March 19 meeting, Deputy Director of the Medical Solution Centerat the Viettel Business Solutions Corporation LuuThe Anh, said Viettel is closely coordinating with the Ministry of Health and relatedministries and sectors to review and carry out the “COVID-19 vaccine passport”scheme.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that from the perspective of the healthsector, the “COVID-19 vaccine passport” is essentially a certificate confirmingthe holder has had two shots of COVID-19 vaccine, regulated in line with the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and internationalhealth quarantine regulations. Passport holders will not be quarantined and testedfor COVID-19, but some other countries still require testing.
Vietnam is working with countries around the world on the acceptance of the passportthrough QR codes.
Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control Vu Duc Dam speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA)
To get the “COVID-19 vaccine passport”, people will provide their personalinformation when receiving a vaccination, which is checked on a validation system.After two injections, the relevant information is confirmed by a QR code. When goingabroad, people’s information will be verified when scanning the QR code.
The Ministry of Health and Viettel are piloting the passport scheme atCOVID-19 vaccination centres, to evaluate the capacity and compatibility ofthese facilities.
Meanwhile, relevant technical infrastructure to receive foreign visitors withCOVID-19 vaccine passport is expected to be completed and ready for use from April.
The Ministry of Health continues to work with foreign health agencies toshortly participate in a joint effort of the international community to facilitatetrade activities and travel for those who have been vaccinated.
According to the ministry, as of11am on March 19, nearly 122 million COVID-19 infections had been reported worldwide,with more than 2.69 million fatalities in 221 countries and territories./.
The Thai cabinet on March 2 approved a budget worth 6.3 billion baht (210 million USD) for purchasing an additional 35 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine produced by the UK, bringing its total vaccine ordered to 63 million doses.
Christos Doulkeridis, Mayor of Ixelles, a district of the Belgian capital Brussels, expressed his sincere appreciation on March 17 of the Vietnamese community’s contribution to the local COVID-19 response.
The northwestern province of Dien Bien administered the first shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to frontline health workers at its temporary hospital for coronavirus treatment at the medical centre of Dien Bien Phu city on March 18.
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.
Standing members of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control discuss the “COVID-19 vaccine passport” scheme (Photo: VNA) 
Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control Vu Duc Dam speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA) 
