Today’s Covid News: Vietnam’s homegrown Nanocovax Covid-19 vaccine get biomedical approval

Vietnam’s homegrown Nanocovax Covid-19 vaccine has got Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for its result of phase 3 clinical trials.

Navy medics leave for Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: VGP

On August 27, Professor Truong Viet Dung, chairman of the IRB (Biomedical Research Board) said that this unit has approved the report on the results of the mid-term phase 3 trials of Nanocovax developed by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC (Nanogen).

“We need to wait to have enough data to evaluate this vaccine that could take several months. Before we can assess the protective effect, we need more complete information on the immunogenicity of the vaccine,” he told local media.

"Nanocovax is the only Covid-19 vaccine candidate in Vietnam that enters phase 3 trials on around 14,000 volunteers. The producer has proposed the Government to approve Nanocovax for emergency use while some affected areas have asked the government to allow them to vaccinate their residents with Nanocovax. However, the Ministry of Health has insisted on saying no, adding that they need more evidence on the effectiveness."

In another move, Australia Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City handed over 403,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Vietnam. The vaccines are part of the Australian 1.5m dose-sharing commitment to Vietnam.

More forces support the south

On August 27, delegations of navy medics and health workers from 10 northern cities and provinces, including Hanoi, left for the pandemic fight in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Binh Duong, the two most affected areas.

Meanwhile, a group of senior officials from the Government Committee for Religious Affairs called for the support and participation of religious dignitaries and followers in the pandemic fight in the southern region.

Members of the team are those specialized in issues of different religions like Buddhism, Caodaism, Protestantism, and Catholicism.

Associate Prof. Nguyen Lan Hieu, director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital (L), and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Binh Duong on August 27. Photo: VGP

Binh Duong

On August 27, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked Binh Duong authorities to consider relocating residents in hotspots to barracks, which is expected to minimize transmission due to high population density.

Regarding the treatment of Covid-19 patients, Associate Prof. Nguyen Lan Hieu, director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, who is currently in charge of monitoring the treatment in Binh Duong, stressed the importance of treating critical cases and providing care and consultation to asymptomatic cases and first-generation contacts (F1) of the index cases (F0) at home.

In terms of testing, Hieu said it’s necessary to give priority to six groups of people namely elderly aged above 65, those with Covid-like symptoms, underlying diseases, pregnant women, children, and F0 with symptoms.

As of August 27, Binh Duong reported nearly 95,000 infections, or 3,857 cases per 100,000 population, higher than the epicenter Ho Chi Minh City (2,207). The industrial park hub has built a scenario of 150,000 cases.

So far, it has administered 806,000 vaccine doses, including 10,000 doses for foreign experts.

Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen will oversee the pandemic fight in the city, meanwhile, other leaders including the Chairman of the city People’s Committee, the Chairman of the People’s Council, deputy chairpersons, and others are also tasked with the anti-pandemic mission.

The senior leaders will take responsibility for healthcare, social welfare, and governance with an aim to bring the pandemic under control in the next three weeks.

They are required to fulfill their duty.

Given the shelter-in-place order, the city’s supermarket chains are unable to finish all orders due to a huge workload and less staff as they need travel permits. 

Hanoi today confirmed 66 cases with the majority found in the community. To curb the spread of the virus, the city continues checking vehicles at the entrances.

Vietnam’s Covid-19 cases jump to 12,920 on August 27, including 5,383 in HCM City and 4,187 in Binh Duong. It makes today the highest-ever daily infection.

The newest cases drove up the national figures to 410,366 infections while the death toll stays at 10,053, including 356 today.

As the widespread transmission and prolonged partial lockdown, the prime minister today asked five centrally-governed cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Haiphong, and Can Tho to gather vagrants in social centers to treat them well and prevent the risk of infection.

Covid-19 infections in Vietnam. Source: MoH. Chart: Minh Vu