Priority given to vaccine production, science application in health sector
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has assigned the Ministry of Science and Technology to coordinate the research and production of COVID-19 vaccines within the national product development programme by 2030 amid complicated developments of the pandemic nationwide.
Finished Covivac vaccine researched and produced by the Nha Trang-based Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC)(Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has assigned the Ministry of Science and Technology to coordinate the research and production of COVID-19 vaccines within the national product development programme by 2030 amid complicated developments of the pandemic nationwide.
Experts said developing vaccines is a decisive and long-term strategy in disease prevention and control in general and in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in particular.
Tꦡhe development of vaccines 💫must be included in the overall strategy of research, technology transfer, and production of vaccines to both proactively preventing and controlling the pandemic, and saving the State budget, they noted.
In the strategy, it is necessary to perform synchronously research and transfer of domestic vaccine production technologies, and implement effectively and safely the vaccination campaign.
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Vietnam, the Politburo, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, the Government and the Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors in researching, transferring technology and domestically producing vaccines, especially COVID-19 vaccines.
The ministry has worked with relevant agencies and scientists to perform the task as soon as possible with the spirit of “fight🌞ing the pandemic is like fighting the enemy”.
Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat stressed that amidst complicated developments of the pandemic, it is necessary to prioritise mechanisms and policies supporting vaccine research and production, and application of science and technology in health care, thus contributing to developing the pharmaceutical industry.
The development of the pharmaceutical industry will serve as a foundation for vaccine development, meeting requirements of taking care of and protecting the public’s health, and saving the State budget, he stressed.
According to the minister, the Ministry of Science and Technology has proposed preferential policies and mechanisms for vaccine research, transfer of COVID-19 vaccine production technology and easier mechanisms for research and application of science and technology in the health sector.
It has also coordinated with the Ministry of Health in building a centre for researching, transferring vaccine production technology, and a centre forpreclinical and clinical trials.
Attention has been also paid to promoting theꩲ application of science and technology in manufacturing Vibot robots to serve transportation in high-risk quarantine areas./.
The Vietnamese Embassy in France held a ceremony on June 25 to receive 20,000 EUR (23,870 USD), donated by the Vietnamese community and several organisations and associations in France in support of Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund.
ASEAN member nations, including Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, are actively working to obtain COVID-19 vaccines from different sources.
Vietnam hopes that Russia will support technology transfer and COVID-19 vaccine production in Vietnam and provide the first batch of vaccine in July or August, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi has recently told Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov.
More than 900 out of 12,000 volunteers participating in the second stage of the third phase of the homegrown COVID-19 vaccine Nano Covax’s clinical trial got their first shots on July 2.
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.
Finished Covivac vaccine researched and produced by the Nha Trang-based Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC)(Photo: VNA)
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
