Vietnam hopes for domestic Covid-19 vaccine by autumn 2021

Development and testing for a “Made-in-Vietnam” Covid-19  vaccine has shown positive results in animal tests, as the nation’s leading production unit – Vabiotech – speeds up standard procedures, aiming for an official launch by the end of next year, Vietnam News has reported.

As ever with studies on animals, caution should be advised as positive results are not always replicated in human clinical trials.

Phase 1 of the project has passed the bar successfully, proving one vaccine’s strong immunogenic quality when administered to 50 mice in May, swiftly bringing the process to phase 2 in just two months.

Usual regulations dictate three to five years of research for the complete development of a vaccine. However, to align with the current health crisis, different production stages may be executed and reviewed at the same time, according to the report.

“Of course, even with this shortened timeline, the vaccine’s quality must still be ensured, preventing coronavirus infection based on ethical principles and medical safety,” said Ministry of Health Vice Director of the Administration of Science, Technology and Training, Nguyen Ngo Quang.

There are 38 nations working to create their own vaccines that adhere to the standards of the World Health Organization, including Vietnam.