According the Department of Health, the U.S. pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, Moderna said it has agreed to supply HCMC government with 5 million doses of its mRNA-1273 vaccine, with deliveries set to begin in the third quarter.
The mRNA-1273 vaccine is manufactured by Moderna and approved for use in individuals 18 years of age and older to prevent Covid-19. Moderna announced that its Covid-19 vaccine candidate is 94.1 percent effective at protecting people from infection.
The funds will be collected from the State budget for pandemic prevention and control, organizations and individuals at home and abroad. The HCMC chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee is responsible for receiving funds.
HCMC needs 18 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to inoculate its 9-million population. On February 9, the Ministry of Health has approved a project of the allocation and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility in the 2021-2022 for HCMC. However there are not enough doses of the vaccine to cover all expected residents.
There are 11 vaccine candidates for Covid-19 that have been granted for emergency use authorization by countries and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), said the Department of Health.
As of February 28, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States has approved 3 Covid-19 vaccine candidates.
Vietnam is racing to produce its own Covid-19 vaccine. The country currently has four domestic Covid-19 vaccines developed by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals, the Vaccine and Biological Production Company No. 1 and the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals. The homemade vaccines are expected to be launched in the second quarter of 2022.
