Health Ministry allocates over 650,000 more COVID-19 vaccine doses to HCM City
The Health Ministry on August 3 allocated 659,500 doses of COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine which were bought from AstraZeneca by VNVC, to Ho Chi Minh City.
A local resident having vaccine administrated by a health worker in Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of August 3. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Health Ministry on August 3 allocated659,500 doses of COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine which were bought fromAstraZeneca by VNVC, to Ho Chi Minh City.
The allocated vaccines are part of the more than 1 million doses freshlydelivered to Vietnam.
Another 414,880 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, donated by the UKGovernment, are given to Hanoi.
The same day, the ministry adjusted an earlier decision on allocating COVID-19vaccines for the 16th time, giving HCM City 319,000 more doses andHanoi an additional 284,000 doses.
With the latest provision, Ho Chi Minh City has so far received the mostCOVID-19 vaccines among localities in the country with 4,075,270 doses, includingthose allocated to centrally-run institutes, hospitals and agencies based inthe city.
🀅 There are an estimated 7 million people aged 18 and above in HCM City. The cityhas administered around 2 million doses so far. Therefore, in order to vaccinate70 percent of its population to achieve herd immunity, the city needs about 5.5million more doses./.
The Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company on August 1 deployed a Mi-172 helicopter carrying COVID-19 vaccines and medical equipment and supplies from Vung Tau airport to Con Dao island district in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
More than 1.18 million doses of Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine (formerly known as AstraZeneca) from the COVAX Facility have arrived in Vietnam, UNICEF Vietnam announced on August 2.
Conglomerate Vingroup has signed an agreement with Arcturus Therapeutics medicines biotechnology company of the US on the transfer of COVID-19 vaccine production technology.
The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on August 2 handed over medical supplies and equipment donated by enterprises to local hospitals and medical centres to support the city’s COVID-19 prevention and control.
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 local resident having vaccine administrated by a health worker in Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of August 3. (Photo: VNA) 
