Buying COVID-19 vaccines is a necessary and urgent task that must be carried out immediately, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told permanent Government members who met on May 17 to discuss the purchase of Pfizer vaccine.
A medical worker handles a dose of the AstraZeneca vacine (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Buying COVID-19 vaccinesis a necessary and urgent task that must be carried out immediately, PrimeMinister Pham Minh Chinh told permanent Government members who met on May 17 todiscuss the purchase of Pfizer vaccine.
Reporting the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s plan tobuy the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said the Vietnamese side mustreply to the company on May 18 at the latest.
PM Chinh said procuring COVID-19 vaccines isnecessary and urgent as stated by the Politburo and the Party Central Committee’sSecretariat in Official Dispatch No. 50-CV/TW, dated February 19, and the Governmentin Resolution No. 21/NQ-CP, issued on February 26.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh addresses the meeting on May 17 (Photo: VNA)
In the spirit of “combating the pandemic is likecombating the enemy” and facing the global shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, herequested the MoH and other ministries and sectors to uphold their sense ofresponsibility to carry out measures to obtain vaccines as soon as possible.
As this is an emergency situation, the vaccineprocurement must be handled in line with legal regulations on special andurgent circumstances and conducted immediately, the Government leader added.
As of 6am on May 18, Vietnam had recorded 4,378cases of COVID-19, with 2,668 recoveries and 37 deaths. They include 2,909domestically-transmitted infections and 1,469 imported ones. As many as 1,339new local infections were detected since the latest outbreak hit the country onApril 27./.
Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Phan Van Giang said that his ministry will increase forces and vehicles to support localities to push back the fourth wave of COVID-19 outbreaks.
The Ministry of Health recommends people to adhere to 5K (in Vietnamese) rules: Khau trang (facemask), Khu khuan (disinfection), Khoang cach (distance), Khong tu tap (no gathering) and Khai bao y te (health declaration) to safely coexist with the COVID-19 pandemic in ‘new normal’ state.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged the entire political system and people to take a more swift and drastic approach to driving back COVID-19 pandemic because it could spread anytime if guard is let down.
Vietnam documented 19 COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours as of 6:00 am on May 18, all of which were recorded in quarantine sites, according to the Ministry of Health.
Despite storm-related disruptions and flight delays, the organs were successfully transported via a combination of air and ground travel. All patients are currently stable and recovering well.
The patient, Tieu Viet But, born in 1970 and residing in Binh Tri commune, Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, was working aboard fishing vessel Qng – 95657TS when the incident occurred at 7:00 am.
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
To achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045, Vietnam is prioritising the integration of AI and digital tools into the training of future doctors, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dean of Medicine at University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi.
Health experts called for collective disease prevention and integrated solutions to achieve zero dengue deaths in the country at an online talk show on June 14.
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
The project aimed to enable early detection and reduce the risk of dangerous complications, targeting patients with chronic diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders.
A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
All eligible patients will receive surgical interventions and post-operative care in accordance with Vietnamese medical standards and global care protocols.
Medical screenings and surgical interventions for children with disabilities are being carried out at health centers across Dien Bien. So far this year, 242 children have been identified for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and the provision of assistive devices.
The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
A medical worker handles a dose of the AstraZeneca vacine (Photo: VNA) 
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh addresses the meeting on May 17 (Photo: VNA) 
