Scientists conduct researches on vaccine in an institute in HCM City (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Vietnam is striving towards
producing its own vaccines that can rival foreign ones both in terms of quality
and costs by 2020, said Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long.
To this end, the made-in-Vietnam products must fully
“leverage the country’s manpower and natural resources advantages”, Long
stated as he was addressing a scientific workshop entitled ’Prospects for
research and development of in Vietnam’, jointly
held by the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Science and Technology in Hanoi this week.
The Prime Minister-approved National Vaccine Product
Development Programme towards 2020 has approved of 11 tasks, which focus
on research, production and development of vaccines for human diseases.
Over the last few years, vaccines have proved their
undeniable effectiveness in preventing many diseases, Long said.
Currently, Vietnam produces 10 types of vaccines for human
diseases, of which eight vaccines were used in the National Expanded
Vaccination Programme.
Long stressed that Vietnam is actively working on the
development of many more different vaccines against human diseases.
The workshop aimed to review and re-evaluate the process of
implementing the framework project of the National Vaccine Product Development
Programme, according to Long. At the same time, it would map out solutions and
directions for the country, towards the goal of the country stocking enough
vaccine supply and ensuring the quality of domestically-manufactured vaccines.
Nguyen Ngo Quang, Deputy Director of the Health Ministry’s
Department of Science, Technology and Training, said that the ministry approved
the National Vaccine Product Development Project in 2013, including 12 science
and technology projects and seven investment projects.
During the 2017- 2018 period, the health ministry has added
three more science and technology projects. Among 15 approved science and
technology projects, nine have been implemented. Many projects have yielded
initial results, including work on Japanese Encaphilitis, polio, Hib and
influenza vaccines.
Quang said, in the past years, despite many difficulties
related to mechanisms, policies and techniques in the field of studying and
producing vaccines, the programme’s projects have achieved satisfactory
results.
In particular, a project involving the large-scale
production of seasonal flu vaccines, hosted by the National Institute of
Vaccines and Biologicals, has been verified and delivered excellent result.
Quang proposed that in the future, units under the Ministries
of Health, and Science and Technology need to enhance supervision and implement
tasks, handling new problems as they arise.
Particularly, the two ministries should work together to
propose the Government extend the national programme’s implementation until
2030.-VNS/VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
