Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Duong Anh Duc (R) and Head of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs in Ho Chi Minh City Phung Cong Dung at the conference (Photo: SGGP) The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Overseas Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday afternoon jointly held a virtual conference with the theme "Overseas experts join hands to overcome pandemic – Vaccine made in Vietnam."
Attending were Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu, Chairman of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese; Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac; Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Duong Anh Duc and Head of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs in Ho Chi Minh City Phung Cong Dung.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac commented that the Covid-19 epidemic has developed complicatedly in the country especially in Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces.
According to him, in addition to the implementation of the epidemic prevention measures, the matter of locally-made vaccine production should be considered.
Deputy Minister Tac hoped that through the seminar, experts and scientists with their expertise and experience will voice their opinions and plans so that Vietnam can soon get a source of vaccine for the battle against the epidemic in the current period.
Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc informed that Resolution 86 of the Government set the southern metropolis to put the epidemic under control before September 15. This is also a heavy task and challenge of the Party Committee, Government, and residents in the city.
Ho Chi Minh City has developed a plan to strengthen disease prevention, dividing it into two phases. The first phase is from August 15 to August 31 and the second from September 1 to September 15. Each phase has a specific task defined, and Ho Chi Minh City authorities are determined to control the epidemic by September 15.
To put the epidemic under control before September 15, all city dwellers should strictly observe the social distance rules according to Directive 16, complying with 5K principle. Moreover, they should get a vaccine. A high rate of vaccination coverage plays a strategic role in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic; therefore, city authorities will increase vaccination drive to achieve the inoculation percentage of 70 percent of people over 18 years old.
At the conference, Dr. Do Minh Si, Research and Development Director - Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Company, introduced an overview of the Nanocovax vaccine. According to Dr. Si, up to the present time, the Nanocovax vaccine is relatively safe based on the test results. Most of the volunteers had mild or no side effects after being injected. The immune response index in the serum of people vaccinated with the Nanocovax vaccine is higher than that of Covid-19 recovered patients.
Overseas-Vietnamese experts suggest urgent license for Nanocovax vaccine
Regarding the vaccine’s effectiveness, the trial results of the Covid-19 vaccines being used around the world have shown that the results of the third phase’s clinical trial are consistent with the results of the first and second phases. Nanocovax produces good neutralizing antibodies.
Therefore, Mr. Nguyen Huu Huan, Director of IGY Life Sciences Company and Professor of the University of Arizona said that the emergency use of the Nanocovax vaccine is a successful opportunity for Vietnam in self-producing vaccines and self-controlling the pandemic.
Dr. Nguyen Huu Huan said that massive use of the Nanocovax vaccine will bring greater benefits than risks.
Professor Dinh Xuan Anh Tuan from Cochin Central Hospital, Paris University of Medicine and Dentistry, said that Covid-19 vaccination should be given to people who are at such high risk including elderly people and people with underlying diseases.
According to Professor Anh Tuan, vaccination is the fastest and safest way to achieve herd immunity, help us return to normal life and avoid mutation of new virus strains.
In comparison between Vietnamese-made Nanocovax vaccine with the US-made Novavax vaccine and other current vaccines, Dr. Nguyen Duc Thai, Co-Founder TransMed-VN, assessed, Nanocovax needs to meet criteria including effective avoidance of asymptomatic F0, reduced hospitalization, reduced severity of illness, and no mortality in addition to a high level of safety.
Under current conditions, because of limited scientific evaluation, Nanocovax needs to focus on testing and evaluating clinical indicators. To do this, reputable epidemiologists, experienced experts in Covid-19 need to work together.
To sum up, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu said that Vietnam strives to have a domestically-made vaccine and put it into use this year.
According to Deputy Minister Pham Quang Hieu, self-manufacturing vaccines is a fundamental and long-term solution following a shortage of vaccines.
Deputy Minister Pham Quang Hieu believed under the leaders of the Party and Government, the joint efforts of domestic experts and overseas Vietnamese, Vietnam will succeed in producing made-in-Vietnam vaccines to push back the epidemic.
