Nearly 200,000 Vietnamese vaccinated against COVID-19
VOV.VN - As many as 198,972 people across Vietnam have been vaccinated against the coronavirus since the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign was launched in March.
Approximately 23,000 people in 22 cities and provinces got the jab on April 24 alone, according to the Ministry of Health.
Most of them were healthcare workers, members of anti-coronavirus community groups, members of the steering committees opn COVID-19 prevention and control, soldiers and policemen.
Vietnam is using the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine it has purchased and received under the COVAX-sponsored mechanism.
Besides the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Ministry of Health has recently licensed the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine of Russia. Relevant agencies of both sides are working on a deal to import the vaccine into Vietnam.
Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long has said Vietnam needs at least 150 million doses of coronavirus vaccines for domestic use. As the vaccines are in short supply globally, it is accelerating negotiations with manufacturers to get the nod.
Meanwhile, four Vietnamese research institutes and firms are stepping up research and manufacturing of the vaccines.
Two of them have been carrying out human clinical trials, and the first local vaccine is likely to be available for use later this year.
