Nearly 38,000 people vaccinated against COVID-19 in Vietnam

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Healthcare workers are among the first to be vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Hai Duong province, the epicenter of the latest coronavirus outbreak, took the lead, with 17,248 people vaccinated.

It was followed by Hanoi (6,827), Bac Giang (2,941), Hung Yen (2,665), Bac Ninh (2,653) and Binh Duong (1,228).

An additional three provinces: Quang Ninh, Tay Ninh and Dong Thap, are scheduled to launch the vaccination campaign this week.

Vietnam has launched the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign since March 8, using the imported AstraZeneca vaccine.

Due to its limited supplies, healthcare workers and those in high-risk areas are inoculated first.

About 117,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were imported in late February, and more than 5.6 million doses of the same vaccine are set to arrive in late March and April this year.

The Ministry of Health has already approved the AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines. It is considering licensing other vaccines for the national vaccination campaign.  

Currently, four Vietnamese research institutes and firms are in the process of researching and developing coronavirus vaccines.

The human clinical trials of two vaccines, Nano Covax and Covivac, are underway, and the first Made-in-Vietnam vaccine is likely to be rolled out by the end of September, 2021.