- Health Ministry licenses COVID-19 vaccine from the UK
30 million doses
Following the Ministry of Health Advisory Committee’s recommendation on 28 January to approve AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, on February 1, the vaccine has officially been granted conditional authorization for urgent needs in the prevention and control of COVID-19 in Vietnam.
AstraZeneca and Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC) are partnering to deliver 30 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam, starting from the first half of 2021. This approval and vaccine supply agreement mark another important milestone in Vietnam’s fight against the pandemic.
Speaking about this milestone, British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward said: "Science is the best tool we have to protect ourselves from COVID-19. The development of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine is an excellent example of UK innovation. I am glad that it is now licensed in Vietnam so that people here can benefit."
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| British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward. |
"The UK has now vaccinated nearly 10 million of our most vulnerable population. We support the fair and equitable access to vaccines through the global COVAX facility which Vietnam will also access. Nobody will be safe until we are all safe", he affirmed.
The approval decision was based on a rolling submission which included results of an interim analysis of the Phase III program conducted by the University of Oxford and published in The Lancet on 8 December 2020.
Vietnam’s conditional authorization is for the two-dose standard regimen of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca for people aged 18 years and older, which was shown in the clinical trials to be well tolerated and effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, with no severe cases and no hospitalizations more than 14 days after the second dose.
The vaccine so far has been granted conditional marketing authorization or emergency use approval in the EU, the UK and across markets spanning four continents.
| COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca was co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body. |
50 vaccination centres
COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca is stored, transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions (two to eight degrees Celsius) for at least six months, meaning that it can be distributed and administered within existing healthcare settings.
In addition to the University of Oxford-led program, AstraZeneca is conducting a large study in the U.S. as part of a global program. In total, the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca expect to enroll more than 60,000 participants worldwide. Additional safety and efficacy data will continue to accumulate from ongoing clinical trials.
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Mr. Nitin Kapoor, Chairman cum General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam, said: "We are proud to partner with VNVC, with their extensive network and outstanding capabilities in Vietnam, to deliver our vaccine to millions of people across the country in the safest and fastest way possible. We will continue to provide broad and equitable access to our vaccine so that we can quickly combat the pandemic and accelerate economic recovery."
Mr. Ngo Chi Dung, Chairman cum General Director of VNVC, shared: "This could be considered as a historic partnership for VNVC, and for Vietnam. Under this agreement, Vietnamese people will be able to access one of the world's best quality and safest COVID-19 vaccines, on par with advanced countries."
According to Mr. Dung, VNVC has fully prepared the best facilities and capacity to store large amounts of vaccines and inoculate millions of people. Nationwide, these include 50 vaccination centres; more than 50 GSP-compliant vaccine warehouses; distribution systems; 5,000 professional doctors, nurses, and staff; and a safe vaccination procedure.
It is expected that the price of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca in Vietnam will be affordable to give opportunities to more people.
| Around the world, AstraZeneca is partnering with the University of Oxford, governments, leading health organisations such as WHO, CEPI and Gavi (the Vaccines Alliance) and manufacturers to provide the vaccine to as many countries as possible. In December 2020, AstraZeneca concluded an Advance Purchase Agreement with Gavi to supply 170 million doses of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca to the COVAX Facility, of which Vietnam is a participant, to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher-income and lower-income countries. |
