PM: It’s important to produce vaccines and drugs in Vietnam

PRIME Minister Pham Minh Chinh has hammered home the importance for Vietnam to produce its own Covid-19 vaccines and medicine.

The PM was speaking at a meeting with representatives from ministries and agencies in Hanoi on Saturday.

He regarded the “5K principle”, vaccines, treatment drugs, technologies, public awareness and other solutions as crucial factors to safely and flexibly adapt to, and effectively control, the pandemic.

The “5K principle” was issued by the Health Ministry, covering khau trang (face mask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering) and khai bao y te (health declaration).

Chinh applauded the Health Ministry and relevant ministries and agencies, especially scientists, researchers and producers of Covid-19 vaccines and treatment drugs, for their efforts in the past.

He called for closer coordination to remove difficulties in research as well as administrative and legal procedures, striving to produce vaccines and treatment drugs at home.

The nation’s interests and the public’s health and life must be the top priority, the PM emphasised.

Chinh assigned the Health Ministry to coordinate with other relevant ministries and agencies to review institutions to facilitate the process.

The ministry reported that as of Nov 25, Vietnam had administered about 116.4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, with 47.4 million people fully vaccinated.

The country has engaged in technology transfer, research and trial of such vaccines as Nano Covax, COVIVAC, ARCT-154, HIPRA, Sputnik V, Shionogi and some vaccines of Cuba and India.

Six factories have registered for Covid-19 treatment drug production. — Vietnam News/ANN