Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at the meeting (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative to
Vietnam Kidong Park has said the wants to invite Vietnam to
join in research and production of vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.
During a meeting in Hanoi on June 30 chaired
by Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the National Steering Committee for Prevention and Control Vu Duc Dam, Park said the vaccine is expected
to be available in late 2021.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading
complicatedly worldwide with nearly 10.4 million infections and over 507,000 deaths.
There are about 150,000 new cases and more than 4,000 fatalities on average
each day. Notably, there is not any vaccine or medicine for treatment.
About the reopening of border gates and resumption of international flights
with several countries and territories, experts warned that as the pandemic
lingers, countries should carefully consider the decision.
Park said the WHO has recommended giving
priority to necessary travel, considering monitoring capacity of each nation at border gates,
public response and economic resilience.
Regarding vaccine production, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said two Vietnamese units are piloting
anti-COVID-19 vaccine on mice. In the near future, it will be experimented on
primates and humans.
He expected that the WHO and international
organisations will help step up vaccine production in the country.
Deputy PM Dam, for his part, said Vietnam is willing to partner with the world
in epidemic prevention and control. The country is now mastering technology to
produce four kinds of test kits with high efficiency and reasonable costs, he said.
He hoped that the WHO and
international organisations would help popularise such products worldwide,
towards driving back the pandemic./.
Source: VietnamPlus
