HO CHI MINH CITY: The Vietnamese authorities have approved the use of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine against COVID-19, the government news portal reported on Saturday.
According to the statement, AstraZeneca will deliver 30 million doses of the vaccine to Vietnam in 2021. The first batch of the drug is expected to be delivered to the Asian nation in the first quarter of the year.
The Vietnamese government also continues negotiations with other vaccine producers.
Besides foreign vaccines, Vietnam is engaged in the development of domestic vaccines against coronavirus. Vietnam-made vaccines Nanocovax and Covivax currently undergo phase one trials on volunteers, while phase two trials will start in February and March respectively.
Earlier this week, Vietnam recorded a new outbreak of COVID-19 after two months without local infections.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Vietnam has registered 1,739 cases of coronavirus, including 1,739 recoveries and 35 fatalities.