Vietnam News Today (Mar. 11): Vietnam Approves AstraZeneca Evusheld Treatment for Covid-19 Patients

Evusheld is being used for high-risk people at Tam Anh Hospital in Vietnam. Photo: VOV

Vietnam approves AstraZeneca Evusheld treatment for Covid-19 patients

The Ministry of Health licensed AstraZeneca’s Evusheld antibody on March 10 for use as part of Covid-19 prevention efforts to support high-risk people who are most vulnerable to virus infection.

Evusheld, a long-acting monoclonal antibody, serves as a prevention therapy for certain high-risk people that is capable of helping to protect them from Covid-19 infection before they are actually exposed to the virus. It is the first pre-exposure prophylaxis product created to tackle Covid-19, with the exception of vaccines.

Given the rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Vietnam, including the detection of the Omicron variant, people suffering from underlying diseases such as liver and kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal problems, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and those with moderate and severe immunodeficiency, can be more vulnerable to virus infection, cited VOV.

In contrast to normal vaccines, Evusheld helps inoculated individuals produce a necessary amount of antibodies in order to protect them against Covid-19, with an efficiency of up to 83%. Indeed, no cases of severe illness or death have been recorded post injection over the course of six months of trials, according to AstraZeneca’s PROVENT study.

Clinical tests also indicate that Evusheld can neutralize the Omicron variant, especially its sublineages BA.1.1 and BA.2 that have spread across nearly 100 countries and territories, including Vietnam.

It is also noteworthy that those who are unable to get any of the existing Covid-19 vaccines because of serious side-effects to any of the components of the vaccines such as severe allergy and anaphylaxis can get the Evusheld injection.

Vietnamese firms urged to expand ties with Japanese investors amid new trends

Domestic firms should consider expanding partnerships with Japan in new areas like smart city and startup incubation, suggested Dr. Vo Tri Thanh, Director of the Institute of Branding and Competition Strategy.Unleashed potential for Vietnam-Japan cooperation remains huge, he said.

However, “we are living at a time when the frequency and intensity of uncertainties are growing,” he said, adding that changes in geopolitics and finance-monetary affairs, together with the pandemic, climate change and natural disasters are creating new landscapes, which trigger a shift in global supply and value chains.

He highlighted several noteworthy factors in the supply chain shift that are relatively relevant to the regional situation, saying first of all, Asia Pacific remains crucial to the global production network thanks to its competitive advantages as well as trade and investment liberalization which have been accelerated over the past several decades.

Illustrative photo. Photo: economy.vn

Secondly, the fourth Industrial Revolution and the digital transformation have optimized supply chains, leading to shortened or shrank supply chains, he continued.

Thirdly, geopolitical tensions like the trade dispute between the US and China, and the Covid-19 pandemic has set the scene for the development of new trends. Many countries now are more interested in strategic items like masks and medical supplies as well as in developing core technologies and identifying trusted partners.

Regarding bilateral cooperation in the value chain, Japan remains one of Vietnam’s largest foreign investors, with more than 65 percent of FDI flows from Japan poured into the manufacturing and processing sector in Vietnam, according to VNA.

The two sides have established cooperation in the areas of electronics, agricultural machinery, agricultural processing, environment, energy efficiency, shipbuilding and supporting industries, Thanh noted.

He advised Vietnamese firms to pay more attention to logistics, hi-tech agriculture, real estate, finance-banking, tourism, retail, aviation, information and technology, and infrastructure development which are being favored by Japanese investors.

Recently, Vietnam has consulted foreign investors in multiple sectors, particularly in improving its role in global supply chains of medical supplies which the country has competitive edges, he added.

VN-US sign MoU on strengthening commercial-investment alternative dispute resolution ecosystem

Vietnam and the US have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve Vietnam’s Commercial and Investment Alternative Dispute Resolution Ecosystem.

THe MoU was signed by Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Khanh Ngoc and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Vietnam Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock.

The MoU aims to improve related legislation, such as the adoption of international standards and best practices, strengthening capacity and skills of stakeholders, reinforcing partnerships among stakeholders, and raising awareness among local businesses and other stakeholders of the benefits of alternative dispute resolution.

USAID Vietnam’s Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock (5th from right) and Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Khanh Ngoc (4th from right) sign the MoU, Hanoi, March 8, 2022. Photo: VNN

“Creating an effective alternative dispute resolution ecosystem is critical for developing an enabling business environment that helps spur economic growth,” said USAID Mission Director Yastishock.

She expressed her hope that the long-term trust and goodwill built through past cooperation will extend to this new collaboration on improving the alternative dispute resolution environment in Vietnam.

The demand for alternative dispute resolution in Vietnam has increased along with the country's strong economic growth and active integration into the global economy, reported VGP.

Vietnam is a signatory to more than 60 bilateral investment treaties and many free trade agreements with investment protection provisions that subject investor-state disputes to arbitration.

In 1995, Vietnam adopted the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, requiring it to recognize and enforce foreign arbitration judgments.

USAID has successfully collaborated in the past with the Ministry of Justice on the USAID Support for Trade Acceleration Plus (STAR Plus) and USAID Governance for Inclusive Growth (GIG) projects.

Visitors to Vietnam don’t need to show Covid-19 vaccination, recovery certificates

The Ministry of Health (MoH) is proposing that people can enter Vietnam without certificates of Covid-19 vaccination or recovery but need to implement anti-pandemic measures.

The proposal has been sent to ministries, ministry-level and governmental agencies, and provincial-level administrations for recommendations.

Accordingly, the MoH suggested that air passengers need to show a certified negative result of RT-PCR/RT-LAMP tests within 72 hours or of rapid antigen tests within 24 hours prior to their departure.

Air passengers wait to handle entry procedures at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. Photo: VNA

They also don’t need to undergo post-entry testing but have to follow Covid-19 prevention and control measures like those who have been staying in Vietnam.

For people entering Vietnam by other means of transportation, those who already had a negative test result for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 will follow anti-pandemic rules like air passengers, reported VOV.

Those without a negative test result will undergo either RT-PCR/RT-LAMP or rapid antigen test within the first 24 hours of their entry. They will continue following anti-pandemic measures if the test result is negative, but have to report to local health authorities to receive instructions if it is positive, the MoH proposed.

All people entering Vietnam will have to make health declarations prior to their entry and use the health declaration app PC-Covid throughout their stay in the country.

At border gates, people showing Covid-19 symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, running nose, aches and pains, tiredness, cold, and loss of taste or smell have to immediately report to local health units so as to take response measures. They must seriously adhere to the 5K principle (khau trang - wearing face masks, khu khuan - disinfection, khoang cach - keeping distance, khai bao - making health declaration, khong tu tap - no gathering,) when moving from the ports of entry to accommodation facilities and minimize stops along the way.

The MoH also proposed children under 2 not have to take Covid-19 tests, and those who haven’t been vaccinated or infected with SARS-CoV-2 can join their parents and relatives in activities outside their accommodation facilities.

Vietnam takes 32 swimmers to upcoming SEA Games

Thirty two Vietnamese swimmers will compete at the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), head of the swimming department of the Vietnam Sports Administration (VSA) Le Thanh Huyen has announced.

They aim to win 6-8 golds across all 40 categories, the official added.

Nine members of the team, including gold medal hopeful Nguyen Huy Hoang, are training in Hungary until April 24, cited VNA.

Vietnamese swimmers are training in Hungary. Photo: webthethao.vn

Vietnam is striving for 140 gold, 77 silver and 71 bronze medals at the regional sporting event, to be hosted by the country this May.

Swimming is set to take place on May 14-19 at My Dinh water sports stadium in Hanoi.

SEA Games 31 will feature over 40 sports, and 526 events with the attendance of some 10,000 athletes and officials from the 11 Southeast Asian countries.

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