Vietnam to receive 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in 2021
Vietnam is expected to secure 60 million doses in 2021 as the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative and AstraZeneca have committed 30 million doses each to the country, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said on February 19.
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam isexpected to secure 60 million doses in 2021 as the COVID-19 Vaccines GlobalAccess (COVAX) initiative and AstraZeneca have committed 30 million doses eachto the country, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said on February 19.
Up to 150 million doses are needed toensure vaccination for all Vietnamese people, he stated during a virtualmeeting with localities on February 19 to discuss COVID-19 prevention andcontrol measures in the coming time.
Negotiations are underway with globalmultilateral units such as COVAX or AstraZeneca to ship COVID-19 vaccine homeas fast as possible, the minister affirmed.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) has promptlyworked with organisations and vaccine developers in an endeavour to purchasevaccine in the shortest time possible.
Procedures for vaccine procurement, importand utilisation will be carried out in an urgent manner in line with theregulations and recommendations of the World Health Organisation andmanufacturers.
Priority in vaccine access will be given topandemic-hit areas and high-risk people to ensure efficiency, Long added.
He also called on businesses with access tovaccine supply sources to closely work with the MoH in vaccine imports, towardsthe goal of providing vaccine for all Vietnamese people this year so as to facilitateeconomic recovery.
Relevant agencies have been ordered toensure the efficient purchase and use of COVID-19 vaccine and at the same timeaccelerate research and manufacturing of domestic vaccines that meetinternational standards and work against emerging variants of the coronavirusSARS-CoV-2, he noted./.
The Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health has approved the import of the first 204,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine of the UK for emergency use.
ASEAN member states, including Vietnam, have agreed to set aside 10.5 million USD from the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund to purchase vaccines for their citizens on the basis of equal distribution to all 10 countries.
COVID-19 vaccines should be considered a shared asset of the international community, and delivered to countries at affordable prices, prioritising vulnerable groups and frontline workers in the pandemic combat, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said on February 17.
The Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health has approved the import of the first 204,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine of the UK for emergency use.
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.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long (Photo: VNA) 
