Deputy PM gets second shot of Vietnamese Covid-19 vaccine

As per procedure, he waited 30 minutes for medical monitoring after taking the shot and then talked to other volunteers.

Accompanying the Deputy PM as a volunteer in the human trials for the vaccine was Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac.

Both officials had received their first shots on February 26.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam gets his second shot of Nanocovax as part of its human trials in Hanoi, March 26, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/DN.

Do Quyet, director of the Military Medical University, said that after the second shot, the safety and efficacy of antibody generation and its antiviral ability will be re-assessed. These criteria were met after the first shot, he said.

"The Nanocovax vaccine is effective against the U.K variant," he added.

Quyet also said that Vietnam can compare the efficacy of Nanocovax with that of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), obtaining an international license if the comparison is favorable.

He expressed confidence that Vietnam will have a commercially viable vaccine by the end of September.

On March 24, the UNICEF had announced that due to production delays, the distribution of Covid-19 vaccine through Covax, the projected deliveries to all countries would also be deferred and the quantities reviewed and adjusted.

Vietnam is now due to receive 811,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine next month. This quantity, based on an equitable pro-rata distribution of available doses between all participant countries, is smaller than previously announced for the first shipment. Based on initial information shared by the manufacturer, the aim is to deliver a total of 4,176,000 doses to Vietnam by the end of May, pending operational and supply constraints.