(VOVWORLD) - Prof. Dr. Huynh Thi Phuong Lien has been awarded with the title of “Hero of Labour in the “Doi Moi” (Renewal) Period” in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the development of the vaccine industry in Vietnam from 2009 – 2019.
 Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (right) presents the award to Prof. Dr. Huynh Thi Phuong Lien |
Lien is a senior specialist at the State-owned Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No.1 (Vabiotech) under the Ministry of Health, who had 53 years of experience in medicine.
The title was presented to the 80-year-old professor by Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh in a ceremony held at the Hanoi-based Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on Tuesday.
The Labour Hero title is to honour individuals with exceptional achievements in work and innovation, contributing to the building of socialism in Vietnam and safeguarding the country.
Despite many challenges, Lien and her co-workers at Vabiotech have successfully produced vaccines against cholera, typhoid fever, smallpox and Japanese encephalitis, and participated in twelve State-level scientific studies.
The first-generation vaccine against Japanese encephalitis, developed by her team at Vabiotech, has been used in the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation since 1997. It is also the first made-in-Vietnam vaccine exported overseas.
Vabiotech is among four vaccine manufacturers in Vietnam that have been developing vaccines against the COVID-19.