June 30, 2020 | 20:09 (GMT+7)
Self-sufficiency in vaccine supply critical to COVID-19 fight: Deputy PM
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has stressed the need for Vietnam to capitalise on every opportunity to develop and produce COVID-19 vaccines, noting that self-sufficiency in supply is critical to disease prevention and control.
He made the remarks at a meeting of the Ministry of Health in Hanoi on June 30 that discussed COVID-19 testing methods and vaccine production in Vietnam and other countries.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said many countries have tested COVID-19 vaccines on mice and chickens before human trials. In Vietnam, scientists are promoting vaccine development and determining a model for mass production that suits the local situation.
Vietnam has been able to conduct both antibody tests (also known as rapid tests) and antigen tests (PCR tests) for the coronavirus with high precision, which is the result of substantial efforts by health scientists, he noted.
In the time ahead the Health Ministry will adjust the strategy for test kit manufacturing to ensure test quality and effectiveness as well as mass production of test kits.
It will also step up vaccine development and production plans, including those for cases of large-scale virus transmission, Long went on.
He added that Vietnam will strive to make use of global technology and experience in coronavirus response and vaccine production so as to help improve its self-efficiency in vaccine supply.
Source: VNA