Vietnam May Have Its Own COVID-19 Vaccines in Q3/2021: Health Ministry

Vietnam may have coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines developed and produced by local researchers at the end of the third quarter of this year, a representative from the Ministry of Health (MoH) has said. The health official revealed the information at a meeting of the national steering committee on fighting the pandemic on March 22. Mr. Nguyen Ngo Quang, deputy head of the Administration of Science Technology and Training, under the MoH, stated that four local firms joined the COVID-19 vaccine studies and development, in which Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC completed the first phase of a clinical test for Nanocovax, the country’s first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine. Covivac by the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) has just entered the first phase of the clinical trial, with its estimated cost 50% lower than those in the current market. Vaccine and Biological Production No.1 (VabioTech) plans to put its COVID-19 vaccine into trials in April. Health experts highlighted that the firm’s COVID-19 vaccine can be amended quickly to be effective against new virus variants. Details about the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals (POLYVAC) have yet to be available on local media. Mr. Quang added that the World Health Organization (WHO)’s new guidelines about COVID-19 vaccine testing would help Vietnam carry out the third phase of the COVID-19 vaccine trial more easily. (VnExpress, Bao Chinh Phu, vnews)