Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – All possible measures must be taken
and all obstacles must be addressed to soon secure , Deputy Prime Minister , who is also Head of the National Steering Committee for
Prevention and Control, said at a meeting on May 31.
According a report presented by the Ministry of Health at the meeting, toward the goal of reaching herd immunity by the end of 2021, the ministry
has worked drastically on the mission over the past months via meetings and
negotiations with vaccine producers, as well as health units and diplomatic
representatives of countries that produce the vaccines.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long affirmed that the target of
importing 150 million doses of vaccines this year is possible.
He also encouraged all capable localities and businesses to join hands in importing the vaccines.
Currently, Vietnam has 27 companies that have the function of
importing and trading vaccines. The Ministry of Health has to date licensed AstraZeneca
and Sputnik V vaccines and is reviewing records of two other vaccines.
Acknowledging such efforts, Dam noted vaccines that have
been licensed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), even if their manufacturers have yet to apply for a license
in , can still be imported. For the vaccines that have yet to get a licence from WHO but having
been licensed for use by other countries, the ministry will immediately licence
these vaccines when a local company can access them, he said.
Long informed that if the application for a licence is valid, the
licence can be granted within five days.
The Deputy PM stated that Vietnam always adheres to the UN’s
principle of fair vaccine access. He requested the Ministry of Health to urgently issue a circular
guiding the registration for circulation in urgent cases for COVID-19 vaccines with simplified
procedures, ensuring that all capable businesses are guided and provided with the best conditions.
In the coming time, the Ministry of Health will continue to
introduce policies to encourage more localities and businesses to participate
in the nation’s search for COVID-19 vaccines, Long said, adding that it will create best conditions possible
for all localities, units and businesses in vaccine importing, licesing and testing
processes./.
Source: VietnamPlus
