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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presides over a meeting on Covid-19 vaccine research and development in Ha Noi on December 21, 2020. Photo: VGP

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 21 asked vaccine research units to take strong measures, and suitable and creative methods to speed up vaccine trials in the country.

The center will be responsible for developing vaccines for infectious diseases in humans, the Government chief said.

Regarding Covid-19 vaccines, PM Phuc called for maximum and timely support for local vaccine producers.

Chairing a meeting of permanent Cabinet members, the PM asked relevant agencies to create maximum conditions for domestic units to conduct vaccine research. He assigned the Ministry of Health to coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology and authorized agencies in determining the vaccine production capacity of domestic enterprises to take appropriate and timely support measures.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc Chairing a meeting of permanent Cabinet members. Photo: VGP

He also requested using the funds for clinical trials for the right purposes and in an effective way.

The Ministry of Health was tasked to learn foreign countries’ experience in clinical trials in order to speed up human trials of Nanocovax - one of the four vaccines under research and development in Viet Nam.

The Ministry of Health should learn experience of countries around the world in conducting COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials to speed up the testing of NANOGEN's Nanocovax vaccine in order to soon put it into use, while looking for foreign partners to cooperate in implementing the phase-three clinical trial of the domestically produced vaccine, the Government leader noted.

Under the direction and state management of the Ministry of Health, the Vietnam Military Medical University will coordinate with the Institute of Biotechnology under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and relevant agencies to build a project to develop a vaccine research and development centre for prevention and control of human infectious diseases, including a grade 3 or 4 biosafety laboratory.

Regarding the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines from other countries, the PM affirmed that a certain volume of vaccines is needed to protect people's health. He asked the Ministry of Health to soon complete a project to determine the purchase of an appropriate country's vaccine, and search for more suppliers, according to vietnamplus.

Amid the complicated developments of the pandemic in the world and the region, PM Phuc stressed that raising vigilance is still the most important measure to prevent and control the disease.

People nationwide should closely follow the message featuring 5K (in Vietnamese) Khau trang (facemask) - Khu khuan (disinfection) - Khoang cach (distance) - Khong tu tap (no gathering) – Khai bao y te (health declaration) in order to live safely with the novel coronavirus in ‘new normal’, he said.

Meanwhile, agencies at all levels must prevent violations of quarantine regulations from repeating and localities, especially big cities, need to enhance inspections of pandemic prevention and control.

In November, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked G20 economies to reach a Covid-19 vaccine production agreement to help with large-scale vaccine production and distribution.

He commended G20 economies' important achievements in the Covid-19 fight, including increased coordination on macro-scale policies for economic recovery.

Phuc noted that as the 2020 ASEAN chair, Vietnam cooperated with other members and partners to deploy measures to prevent Covid-19 and initiate economic recovery while maintaining momentum envisioning and achieving the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, he said.

The Vietnamese PM stressed the importance of promoting transborder commerce and investment, maintaining supply chains, especially for food, medicine and other necessities, and supporting multilateral trade cooperation on the basis of freedom, fairness and transparency, reported vnexpress.

Phuc also ordered subordinate levels to continue sustaining vigilance in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic even when vaccines are available.

As of 6:05 pm on December 21, Viet Nam confirmed 1,414 infection cases, including 1,269 recoveries and 35 deaths.

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