Vaccinated people nears 900,000 mark, as ministry in talks for mRNA technology transfer

12/05/2021, 14:04

A total of 892,454 people in Vietnam have been given COVID-19 vaccine shots to date, according to May 11’s morning report from the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation (NEPI).

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

On May 10, 25,057 people in 41 cities and provinces have been given the jabs.

The doses administered has reached 97 percent of the existing stock of 917,000 doses of AstraZeneca that Vietnam has received so far as part of the purchase of 30 million doses from the company and another 30 million from the global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX Facility that is expected to be delivered in different batches within 2021 and early 2022.

The first in line are mostly frontline workers – medical staff directly involved with the treatment of COVID-19 patient; medical staff performing tasks such as collecting patient samples, testing and tracing; members of grassroots anti-COVID-19 groups; members of COVID-19 steering committees at local and central levels; and police and military members.

Regarding last week's death of a medical worker in Vietnam who developed anaphylactic shock after receiving the COVID-19 shot, health authorities have stressed that the reaction rate is still too small to forego the critical protection that the vaccines offer against COVID-19.

Pham Quang Thai, head of the northern region office of the NEPI, said all vaccines, drugs, and even food – not just COVID-19 vaccines – could lead to adverse reactions, but the rate is “very low” and if the vaccinated are monitored and reactions are promptly dealt with then there would be few problems.

“We are pained to hear about the incident. It was very rare, and we won’t pause (the vaccination drive) here but we should learn from the experience here to prevent such regrettable incidents in the future,” Thai said.

Specifically, there must be increased readiness for the prevention of anaphylaxis at all immunisation facilities, according to the doctor.

Adrenalin shots must be readily available so that they could be immediately administered, instead of wasting critical time in preparing the shots, he said, adding that training and supervision of follow-up post-vaccination monitoring should also be strengthened to ensure that medical staff are ready in all situations.

Given the currently limited supply to Vietnam, especially as the COVID-19 situation is showing complicated developments, the health ministry has met with a World Health Organization (WHO) representative to facilitate the negotiations on transferring of mRNA technology – currently the cutting-edge technology used in highly effective COVID-19 vaccines like Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna (while AstraZeneca used vector-based technology) – so that Vietnam can start producing the vaccines right within the country.

The health ministry is awaiting the results of the second phase of the human trials of Nanogen, Vietnam’s front runner in the race for a homegrown COVID-19 vaccine, and depending on the safety assessment, could start administering the vaccine to the population as the phase 3 trials commence.

Source: VNA


Related articles

(0) Comments
Focus
Phan Thiết – The 50-Year Journey: From Liberation to a Dynamic, Modern Coastal City
April 19, 1975 – April 19, 2025: A proud 50-year milestone since the liberation of Phan Thiết. Half a century may not be long in the grand flow of history, but for Phan Thiết—a land once scarred by war—it marks a powerful transformation. From a battlefield to a vibrant, modern coastal city, Phan Thiết has grown and become a shining gem of Vietnamese tourism.
Do not miss
  • Phan Thiết – The 50-Year Journey: From Liberation to a Dynamic, Modern Coastal City
    8 hour ago Business
    April 19, 1975 – April 19, 2025: A proud 50-year milestone since the liberation of Phan Thiết. Half a century may not be long in the grand flow of history, but for Phan Thiết—a land once scarred by war—it marks a powerful transformation....
  • Farewell to the "King of Cups"
    one month ago Sports
    BTO-After suffering a 1-0 home defeat in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, the French football powerhouse PSG was under immense pressure to win the return leg away at Liverpool. And they did just that, securing a place...
  • Surrendering the Title
    one month ago Sports
    BTO- The highlight of Premier League Matchweek 28 was the showdown between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford. Arsenal desperately needed a victory to keep up with Liverpool, but they could only manage a draw, while the league...
  • Even Djokovic Can’t Defy Time
    one month ago Sports
    BTO-Novak Djokovic has just suffered a defeat against Botic Van De Zandschulp in the second round of  Indian Wells 2025, marking the first time in seven years that he has lost three consecutive matches. At 37 years old, Djokovic is...
  • Binh Thuan Province to cooperate with Sun Group to unlock its Tourism Strengths
    BTO – On early March, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and the People's Committee of Binh Thuan Province held a meeting with Sun Group regarding investment cooperation.
  • The King Has Fallen: Man Utd Crash Out of FA Cup
    one month ago Sports
    Recently, Manchester United’s FA Cup title defense came to a crushing end as Fulham stunned the Red Devils in a dramatic penalty shootout to secure their place in the quarterfinals. Heading into the fifth-round clash at Old Trafford,...
  • Sunset Slope: Phan Thiet’s Hidden Gem for Breathtaking Views
    one month ago LANDSCAPES
    BTO – Still in the heat of the first two lunar months, Sunset Slope on Co Mountain has become a renowned sunset-watching spot in Phan Thiet. Located in Phu Hai Ward, this stunning location offers breathtaking views of the mountains...
  • Victory Seals the Throne
    one month ago Sports
    BTO-After suffering a loss in the first leg at home last week, Manchester City finds itself in a tough spot in its quest for a spot in the Champions League Round of 16 against Real Madrid. This defeat marked their first loss to Madrid...
  • Tough game Alonso!
    one month ago Sports
    BTO-The Round 22 Bundesliga showdown between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich was one of the most anticipated of the season. On one side, there were the defending champions, and on the other, the league leaders. Bayern entered the...
  • Back to the Top for Barcelona
    one month ago Sports
    BTO-Before taking on Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona had the chance to claim the top spot in La Liga after both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid were held to 1-1 draws in Round 24 (Real drew with Osasuna, Atletico drew with Celta Vigo). The...
  • Bayern Munich's Roar
    one month ago Sports
    Bayern Munich were strong favorites against Celtic in their Champions League play-off. Despite being the away team, Vincent Kompany's side comfortably won 2-1, securing an advantage for the return leg at Allianz Arena.
  • Binh Thuan: 7 OCOP 4-star products recognized and re-recognized
    2 month ago Business
    BTO – Binh Thuan provincial People's Committee has lately approved the evaluation results and issued certificates for 7 products in the first and second batches of 2024 for OCOP 4-star products.
  • Binh Thuan’s dragon fruit on display at an exhibition in Germany
    2 month ago Business
    BTO- Binh Thuan dragon fruit will be present at the Fruit Logistica Berlin fruit and vegetable exhibition took place in Germany from February 5 to 7, 2025.
  • Red and Blue: Manchester’s Double Disaster
    2 month ago Sports
    BTO-Recently, the two “powerful” football teams from the country of Man UTD and Man City both endured heavy defeats. MU lost at home to Crystal Palace with a score of 0-2. Meanwhile, Man City was hammered 5-1 by Arsenal on their ground....
  • Binh Thuan welcomed around 220,000 visitors during the Tet holiday
    2 month ago Travel
    BTO-According to the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Binh Thuan, the province received approximately 220,000 visitors during the 9-day Lunar New Year holiday, marking a 10% increase compared to last year’s traditional...
  • A New Rising Star
    3 month ago Sports
    BTO-Joao Fonseca, a tennis player ranked 145th in the ATP standings, has caused a stir in the global tennis community after winning the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals with the lowest ranking among the players in the tournament. With a mature,...
  • The Fall of the Giants
    3 month ago Sports
    BTO-Both "giants" Liverpool and Arsenal recently played their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg matches. While Liverpool faced Tottenham, Arsenal hosted Newcastle. Both teams suffered defeats—Liverpool lost 0-1 to Tottenham, and Arsenal...
  • A Precious Point at Anfield
    3 month ago Sports
    On the last day of 2024, Manchester United suffered a 0-2 defeat against Newcastle at "The Theater of Dreams," Old Trafford. This was their fourth consecutive loss in the Premier League. The "curse" seemed far from over for Man Utd...
  • Lionel Messi Honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom
    3 month ago Sports
    BTO-In the early days of 2025, Lionel Messi received a prestigious honor when U.S. President Joe Biden awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This civilian award, the highest in the United States, might have been a surprise,...
  • Time to back “home” Amorim!
    3 month ago Sports
    BTO-Under Ruben Amorim, Sporting Lisbon achieved a perfect start in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, winning their first 12 matches and holding the top spot for over four months. However, after Amorim left Lisbon, both he and his former...
POWERED BY ONECMS - A PRODUCT OF NEKO
Vaccinated people nears 900,000 mark, as ministry in talks for mRNA technology transfer