Vietnam hoped to produce COVID-19 vaccines in late Q3

The statement was made by Deputy Director of the Department of Science Technology and Training under the Health Ministry Nguyen Ngo Quang, who is Chief of the Office of the National Programme on Vaccine Research and Development, at a meeting of the Standing Board of the Steering Committee for International Cooperation in Clinical Trials of COVID-19 Vaccines on March 22.

Quang said that Vietnam is currently making research on three types of COVID-19 vaccine.

Accordingly, the second phase of human trials on NanoCovax vaccine, produced by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, is being conducted, with the second dose to be injected on March 26.

The results of the second phase are expected to be announced in May as scheduled, while the third phase will be conducted from May to September. The vaccine is hoped to be registered for circulation in September, three months shorter than planned. Earlier, the trial time of the second phase was also shortened from six months to three months.

A system on monitoring and assessing vaccines’ protection efficiency in Vietnam and other countries is expected to be operated from September 2021 to September 2022.

Meanwhile, the first injections of the first phase of human trials on Vietnam’s second homegrown candidate vaccine COVIVAC, developed by the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), were made on March 15.

The first phase of human trials on the country’s third homegrown candidate vaccine, developed by VABIOTECH, is hoped to begin in April.

Standing members of the Steering Committee for International Cooperation in Clinical Trials of COVID-19 Vaccines agreed that the outcomes of pre-clinical trials of all three vaccines were assessed good thanks to Vietnamese units’ close coordination with prestigious vaccine producers and research units over the world and their compliance with international standards and procedures in vaccine research and development.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, who is head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, hailed efforts made by the Ministries of Health and Science and Technology, and vaccine research and development units.

He requested extra efforts to speed up domestically-developed vaccine research and production.

At the event, the Health Ministry affirmed that it has no policy that allows businesses and companies to import COVID-19 vaccines.

No new COVID-19 cases on March 23 morning

Vietnam recorded no new COVID-19 cases over the past 12 hours to 6am on March 23, said the ministry.

So far, the total number of infections has remained at 2,575, of which 1,601 were locally-transmitted cases.

The ministry’s Department of Medical Service Administration reported that as of March 20, as many as 2,234 patients were given the all clear from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

Among patients under treatment at medical establishments, 36 tested negative to SARS-CoV-2 once, 17 twice and 55 others thrice.

Up to 37,754 people who had close contact with patients or entered from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine.

According to the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation, an additional 2,060 people were vaccinated against the disease on March 22, raising the total to 36,082, mostly front-line health workers and staff of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

From March 8-22, vaccinations were conducted in 16 cities and provinces, including 17,248 in Hai Duong, 6,545 in Hanoi, 376 in Hai Phong, 2,665 in Hung Yen, 2,533 in Bac Ninh, 2,904 in Bac Giang, 887 in Hoa Binh, 176 in Ha Giang, 244 in Dien Bien, 117 in Da Nang, 105 in Khanh Hoa, 380 in Gia Lai, 916 in Ho Chi Minh City, 87 in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, 645 in Binh Duong and 224 in Long An.

Between now and late March, training courses will be held in the remaining 44 provinces and cities to help them ready when the next shipment of COVID-19 vaccines arrives in the country.

The Health Ministry advised residents to continue following 5K regulations after being inoculated.

Hanoi allows re-opening of bars, karaoke parlours, discos from March 23

Hanoi has allowed bars, karaoke parlours and discos to resume their activities from 0:00 am on March 23, said Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung at a meeting of the local steering board for COVID-19 prevention and control on March 22.

As heard at the meeting, the city requested all people coming to these places install the Bluezone app and follow all prevention measures.

The capital also allowed the organisation of mass gatherings provided that prevention and control measures are strictly implemented.

Director of the municipal Health Department Tran Thi Nhi Ha said related agencies have completed the collection of COVID-19 samples in My Duc district and at high-risk departments across medical facilities.

According to the Hanoi centre for disease control, the capital has gone through 35 days of recording no COVID-19 infections since February 16.