Society

VN secures 30 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, in talks to manufacture Russia’s Sputnik V

Published

2 years ago

January 4, 2021

Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. — AFP/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will be supplied with 30 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine within this year, a Vietnamese health official confirmed on Monday.

With a double-dose regime given about a month apart, the delivery from the UK-based university and pharmaceutical firm will be used to inoculate some 15 million people in the country.

Deputy Minister of Health Trương Quốc Cường said at a Government press briefing in Hà Nội that the delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be done in phases through all four quarters of 2021.

The health ministry is in negotiations for the procurement of the four most notable COVID-19 vaccines, the Oxford-AstraZeneca, the US’ Pfizer-BioNTech, Russia’s Sputnik V, and China’s Sinovac, Cường said, adding that details regarding the deals with the four vaccine makers cannot be disclosed due to non-disclosure agreements.

The US-based Pfizer has also tentatively agreed to a fourth-quarter delivery, Cường stated.

Meanwhile, the Russian maker of the Sputnik V vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, is asking to manufacture the vaccine in Việt Nam under a technology transfer agreement with a company under the management of the Vietnamese health ministry.

The price of the vaccines does not differ significantly, Cường stated, noting that the requirements of the vaccines’ storage and delivery and rollout, as well as payment issues, matter a great deal and need co-ordination from different ministries and agencies as well as the Politburo.

The other thing to consider is that these vaccines have varying levels of effectiveness in clinical trials, some reaching 65 per cent at the lowest while another could be as 94.5 per cent, Cường said.

“We are doing our best so that Vietnamese people could get access to COVID-19 vaccines,” he added.

In addition to the commercial route, Việt Nam is also eligible for support from the WHO-led COVID-19 vaccine Global Access Facility which aims to provide equitable access to vaccines.

Cường said the initiative promised inoculation for 16 per cent of Vietnamese population at the cheapest cost possible, but at the moment, the countries that are making COVID-19 vaccines are still struggling to fulfil the huge demand globally.

A clearer picture would emerge within the first three months of this year and by then, a detailed plan for procurement and rollout among the population could be developed, he said.

Mai Tiến Dũng, Chairman of the Government Office, emphasised that even with COVID-19 vaccine, efforts to prevent and control the disease would still need to be strictly observed

Việt Nam is also pursuing homegrown vaccines, with one called Nano Covax already in first-phase human trial since December, and another set for human trials in late January.

The full data for assessment will be available at the end 2021 as per their projected timeline.

As of Monday morning, Viet Nam had logged a total of 1,494 COVID-19 patients, 1,339 of which have already recovered.

The country has gone 33 days without community transmission. —

Source: https://vietnamnews.vn/society/842176/vn-secures-30-million-doses-of-astrazenecas-covid-19-vaccine-in-talks-to-manufacture-russias-sputnik-v.html

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Society

Ho Chi Minh City household raising 82 dogs fined for causing environmental pollution

Published

5 mins ago

March 29, 2023

TienphongNews

A household in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City that breeds 82 dogs as pets in a 2.6m-wide house has been fined VND64 million (US$2,724) for causing environmental pollution.

A representative of the People’s Committee of Ward 9 in District 4, where the family of Nguyen Thi My Thanh — the owner of the dogs — resides, confirmed the information to Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday.

In particular, Thanh’s family was fined VND40 million ($1,698) for discharging wastewater which exceeds the criteria by over 10 times and VND24 million ($1,019) for releasing wastewater with a pH level above the permitted.

The household was also asked to take measures to deal with the environmental pollution and pay measurement and sample analysis fees.

According to the representative of the People’s Committee of Ward 9, most of the 82 dogs are puppies and sick canines that other people brought to Thanh’s house.

Local residents have repeatedly complained that Thanh dumped the dogs’ excrement directly into the drainage system in front of her house and left them unbridled, causing environmental pollution and danger for residents.

The Ward 9 authorities asked Thanh to install glass doors to prevent odor from affecting her neighborhood.

District 4 officials also offered the family ways to minimize the impact of the dog breeding on the environment and neighbors.

However, Thanh’s family failed to follow the instructions.

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A household in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City that breeds 82 dogs as pets in a 2.6m-wide house has been fined VND64 million (US$2,724) for causing environmental pollution.

The household was also asked to take measures to deal with the environmental pollution and pay measurement and sample analysis fees.

According to the representative of the People’s Committee of Ward 9, most of the 82 dogs are puppies and sick canines that other people brought to Thanh’s house.

The Ward 9 authorities asked Thanh to install glass doors to prevent odor from affecting her neighborhood.

District 4 officials also offered the family ways to minimize the impact of the dog breeding on the environment and neighbors.

However, Thanh’s family failed to follow the instructions.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20230322/ho-chi-minh-city-household-raising-82-dogs-fined-for-causing-environmental-pollution/72215.html

Society

Finland aims to attract high-quality human resources from Vietnam

Published

9 hours ago

March 29, 2023

TienphongNews

Vietnam is one of the four countries from which Finland is aiming to attract high-skilled personnel through a talent-seeking program that has been introduced in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Commercial Section of the Finnish Embassy in Vietnam held a conference on Tuesday in Ho Chi Minh City to debut the Talent Boost program, which helps seek high-quality human resources from Vietnam, as well as from Brazil, Turkey, and India.

The program was presented by a Finnish delegation involved in education and work, including Laura Lindeman, senior director and head of work in the Finland Unit at Business Finland, a government organization for innovation funding and trade, travel and investment promotion.

Under the program, Finland attracts talents from students to professionals such as doctors, nurses, information technology and clean engineers, and start-up entrepreneurs, Lindeman said.

Those who are professionals will undergo procedures for diploma recognition, which will take about a year, she added.

It is estimated that the Finnish technology industry alone will need 130,000 new workers in the next 10 years, the conference was told.

With a population of only over 5.5 million people, Finland offers plenty of job opportunities to foreign talents, especially those in technological fields.

The Vietnamese community in Finland has about 10,000 people, a quite large foreign community that has good relations with locals, Lindeman said in reply to why Vietnam is included in the Talent Boost program.

Vietnam has a young population with a lot of potential capabilities that can be appropriate for jobs abroad, while Finland is a country offering many good opportunities for such jobs, she added.

Along with its policy of attracting foreign talents, Finland also provides foreign companies operating in the country with financial support, recruitment assistance, and a fair business environment.

In the near future, the Talent Boost program will also be broadly introduced to universities, companies, and startup communities in Vietnam, the conference was told.

Finland also has programs that provide expats with assistance in cultural integration as well as support for their spouses and children so that they can live satisfactorily and happily in the host country.

Finland has so far been named the happiest country in the world for six consecutive years, according to the 2023 World Happiness Report, an annual publication of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network under the United Nations.

The Finns’ happy lifestyle is rooted in social stability and welfare, according to the report.