(VOVWORLD) - The Ministry of Health has approved six COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use in Vietnam, and all of them are safe and effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
1. AstraZeneca vaccine
The vaccine, developed by Oxford/AstraZeneca, has been approved by the World Health Organisation and used in 119 countries and territories, including Vietnam.
Vietnam has so far received more than 8.7 million doses of the vaccine through a purchase contract or the COVAX Facility, a UN run vaccine delivery mechanism.
The vaccine has been used for the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign since March 2021.
2. Sputnik V (Gam-Covid-Vac) vaccine
Sputnik V, manufactured by Russia’s Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, has been licensed for emergency use in 70 countries and territories worldwide, including Vietnam. The vaccine has been in use in 49 countries and territories, with about 85 million doses administered.
The Russian government has donated 12,000 doses of the vaccine to Vietnam in two batches in mid-March and early August 2021.
T&T Group, a multi-sectoral economic conglomerate, will represent Vietnam to conduct negotiations with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for the purchase of 40 million doses of the Russian vaccine.
3. Vero Cell vaccine (Sinopharm)
The Chinese vaccine, developed by Sinopharm and manufactured by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., has been licensed for use in 64 countries and territories, including Vietnam. It has been in use in 59 countries and territories with approximately 800 million doses administered.
Vietnam has received 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine donated by the Chinese Government and has been carrying out vaccinations since July.
The vaccine has been used in Quang Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City.
4. Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (Comirnaty)
The vaccine has been licensed for use in 111 countries and territories worldwide, including Vietnam. It has been in use in 97 countries and territories, with approximately 850 million doses administered.
Vietnam has received nearly 750,000 doses of the vaccine for vaccinations. It is expected to receive between 47-50 million doses, including 20 million doses for children, in the fourth quarter of 2021.
5. Moderna vaccine (Spikevax)
The vaccine has been licensed for use in 64 countries and territories worldwide, including Vietnam. It has been in use in 63 countries and territories, with approximately 340 million doses administered.
Vietnam has so far received 5,000,100 doses of the vaccine donated by the US Government channeled through the COVAX Facility.
6. Janssen vaccine
The vaccine, manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceutica NV of Belgium and Janssen Biologics B.V of the Netherlands, has been licensed for use in 56 countries and territories worldwide.
The vaccine has been approved by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, but none of the doses have been supplied to Vietnam.
All these vaccines are safe and effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to the Ministry of Health.