Vietnam has COVID-19 vaccine production capacity: Officer

Nanocovax vaccine produced by Nanogen (Source: vneconomy.vn) 

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam can satisfy COVID-19 vaccine production requirements once it obtainsvaccine patents, an officer has affirmed.

Domestic vaccineproduction would be an opportunity for Vietnam to soon reach herd immunity and evencover exports in the future, Major General Nguyen Viet Luong, PoliticalCommissar of the Vietnam Military Medical University, which is participating inCOVID-19 vaccine development, told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

He suggested that countriestemporarily waive vaccine patents to contribute to the fight against thepandemic.

Four vaccines areunder development in Vietnam, by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC,the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals, the Vaccine and BiologicalProduction Company No 1, and Polyvac.

Of these, the NanogenPharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC’s NanoCovax, whose second phase of humantrials has been completed, is the most feasible and will soon be approved foremergency use, Luong continued.

The company canproduce 2-3 million doses monthly, he said.

Major General Nguyen Viet Luong, Political Commissar of the Vietnam Military Medical University (Photo: VNA)

Vaccinemanufacturing requires standardised technologies and other factors relating to theenvironment, workforce, and, most notably, materials.

Luong highlightedthe Government and Ministry of Health’s sound vaccine import strategy, which togetherwith patent-based production and local research and production would helpVietnam reach herd immunity in late 2021 or mid-2022.

However, he added,domestic vaccine research and production will remain a long-term pillar asVietnam will need a large quantity of vaccines annually for its population ofnearly 100 million./.

VNA