Vietnam Institute Sends COVID-19 Vaccine Samples to U.S. for Assessment

The Institute of Vaccine and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), which is based in Vietnam’s central Khanh Hoa province, has sent samples of COVID-19 vaccines to the United States for assessment, state media reported. The IVAC has been cooperating on COVID-19 vaccine production since May with the U.S.-based PATH health organization and an U.S. university on this topic. The IVAC expected that the results would be available in late August. Upon potential good results, the IVAC would conduct human trials in late 2020. The IVAC added that it is capable of producing six million doses of this vaccine. Vietnam currently has four players in the race of producing COVID-19 vaccines, namely IVAC, Vaccine and Biological Production No.1 (VabioTech), Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals (POLYVAC), and Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC (Nanogen). (VietnamBiz, SGGP, Nguoi Lao Dong)