At a meeting with scientists and the companies that are focusing on researching and manufacturing vaccines against COVID-19, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked them to focus on timely solving difficulties and obstacles in legal, mechanism, and policies in the spirit of effectively contribute to society in reality, creating the most favorable conditions for research, technology transfer, and vaccine production.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested that from the concept side, we need to unify that a vaccine for Covid-19 is a decisive, strategic, and long-term solution in the epidemic prevention and control in general and in COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control in particular. Therefore, the matters related to the Covid-19 vaccine must be in the overall strategy of research, technology transfer, vaccine production so that we can both be proactive in epidemic prevention and control and conserve the state budget both in the immediate and long term.
Implement synchronously purchasing, producing, and injecting safe and effective vaccines
In the implementation of the vaccine strategy, all related parties must perform synchronously together including purchasing, researching, transferring technology, producing vaccines in the country, and organizing and implementing a timely, safe and effective vaccination campaign.
We also need to raise awareness among the society that research, technology transfer, and vaccine production are both social and commercial products. Therefore, all strategies, plans and policies must be appropriate to the social and commercial nature of the vaccine.
Producing vaccines contribute to the development of the pharmaceutical industry which is one of the strengths of Vietnam. It is necessary to thoroughly understand and implement the slogan “Developing the pharmaceutical industry as a foundation for vaccine development, meeting the requirements of actively taking care of and protecting people’s health and lives” and saving the state budget in the process.
At the same time, Inheriting and developing the direction of generations of leaders on vaccine development, promoting the effectiveness and achievements obtained in disease prevention and control, and vaccine production by generations of scientists and vaccine production facilities in the past time while simultaneously overcome the limitations and shortcomings in both awareness, leadership, direction and organization for investment, focus on research and technology transfer for domestic vaccine production.
Producing a vaccine is challenging, but it must be done
The Vietnam Prime Minister emphasized in terms of guiding and leading ideas that the research, transfer, and production of vaccines are challenging. However, it must be done because a vaccine can be produced to be proactive in epidemic prevention and help with the protection of the health and life of the people. It takes great determination and belief that Vietnam will be able to produce a vaccine against COVID-19, therefore, people must believe, actively participate, contribute resources to research, transfer production technology and participate in testing using vaccines.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh noted that the more difficult, complicated, and sensitive things are, especially related to people’s lives and health, the more they must strictly adhere to principles, processes, and regulations, promote democracy, and mobilize collective wisdom, conduct careful discussion, consensus, listen and fully absorb the contributions of scientists, managers, and manufacturers to decide on implementation.
We must put the interests of the nation, the people, and the community first of all other things to make policies, organize research, transfer technology for production, distribution, and use of vaccines that are suitable with the motto of 5 truths: “think real, speak real, do real, real efficiency, real beneficiaries and businesses”.
The government of Vietnam must also have high political determination, great efforts, drastic action. Due to limited resources and time, it is necessary to choose the focus point on solving. Because vaccines are related to people’s health and lives, they must be carried out scientifically, according to procedures and regulations, but they must be done completely and effectively, and practically, without wasting resources.
In parallel with research, transfer, and production, it is necessary to promote testing according to a strict and thorough process and develop programs, plans, and campaigns on timely, safe, and effective vaccination campaigns.
Mobilizing resources for research and production of vaccines
Regarding the tasks and solutions in the coming time, the Prime Minister requested to develop a Strategy, a National Program, a long-term and comprehensive plan to research, produce, and transfer vaccine technology, especially a vaccine against COVID-19.
At the same time, focus on promptly removing difficulties and obstacles related to legislation, mechanisms, and policies in the spirit of serving society by sticking to reality, creating the most favorable conditions for research, technology transfer, and production of vaccines. Problems related to any then that parties must propose the solutions to solve according to the motto 3 no: “don’t say no, don’t say difficult, don’t say yes but don’t do”.
What is ripe, clear, has been proven to be true in practice, effectively implemented, and is agreed upon by the majority, then deploy immediately. What has not been regulated or has been regulated but is no longer suitable for practice then boldly piloting, doing, perfecting, expanding gradually without aiming to be a perfectionist.
Implement many solutions to mobilize financial resources and funds for vaccine research and production, including public-private cooperation solutions on the principle of harmony, rationality, and efficiency between the interests of the State, Scientists, and Enterprise which is the main working principle of our country. For each specific Program or Project, it is necessary to discuss the principles and results, harmonize benefits and share risks among three parties: State – Scientist – Enterprise for implementation.
Furthermore, Vietnam Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Science and Technology to assume the prime responsibility, together with the Ministry of Health and relevant ministries and sectors, to propose and immediately promulgate mechanisms and policies to gather and attract scientists while encouraging and promoting patriotism and national pride. The Prime Minister also stated that we need to have appropriate and timely remuneration, encouragement, and reward regimes for domestic and foreign scientists to participate and contribute to the research, production of vaccines, and the transfer of vaccine production technology with clear, open, and transparent regulations. The Government needs to have the policy to nurture, maintain and develop in a long-term and stable manner scientists researching and producing genuine vaccines.
All related departments need to work together to research and issue the process of testing, evaluating, and licensing vaccines according to simplified procedures if the legal process allows in the spirit of “fighting the epidemic like fighting the enemy” but must comply with scientific principles, stick to reality and serve the care and protection of people’s health on a timely, safe, transparent, objective and effective manners. Ensure close coordination between agencies and units, first of all, scientists, managers, businesses, and people.
The Prime Minister also requested the propaganda work in the right direction, effectively, closely following Politburo’s guiding point of the motto “Vietnamese people use Vietnamese goods”. Promoting propaganda so that people are inspired and placed more trust in the Government and support the policy of producing and injecting vaccines produced by Vietnam.
Establishment of a national vaccine research and production center meeting international standards
Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has assigned the National Steering Committee for Epidemic Prevention and Control to act as the focal point to direct research, technology transfer, and vaccine production. Comrade Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, directly directed the development of the National Program on vaccines in general, in which, in the immediate future, special attention will be paid to research and production of vaccines against COVID-19.
The Ministry of Health, the state management agency on vaccines, directs the implementation of the task of technology transfer, production, and organizes a campaign to vaccinate against COVID-19 to establish a national vaccine research and production center that meets the international standards and have the obligations to give a proposal to the competent authorities the problems that still exist in order to solve it promptly. Coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to forecast the situation, and reasonably balance supply and demand for vaccines to avoid the situation of “when there is a shortage, when there is an excess, at the wrong time” to regulate macro policies in a timely and effective manner.
The Ministry of Science and Technology is the state management agency that proposes preferential mechanisms and policies to support vaccine research, production technology transfer, and an open mechanism for research and application of public science and technology in the medical field. MOST assume the prime responsibility and carry out research and production of vaccines in the National Product Development Program to 2030, support registration of intellectual property rights for vaccine production technology, and coordinate with the Ministry of Health in building a center for research and technology transfer for vaccine production, a center for preclinical and clinical trials but still keeps the principle to pay attention to production planning and promote the effectiveness of public-private cooperation.
The Ministry of Finance urgently examines and supplements mechanisms and policies on standards, conditions, and regimes in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic, along with the research, technology transfer, and production of COVID-19 vaccines.
The recommendations on investment, use of resources, mechanisms, policies, etc. of scientists, managers, vaccine manufacturers are legitimate and appropriate to the situation that arose. Accordingly, the Government assigned Mr. General Vu Duc Dam on behalf of the Government to handle the settlement and reports to the Government Standing Committee.
On behalf of the Party and State leaders, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh would like to thank the People, scientists, businesses, and managers for their contribution to the national achievements, including on anti-epidemic, ensuring production and business, contributing to the Fund for COVID-19 prevention and control, and especially contributing to research, production transfer and participation in vaccine vaccination experiments. COVID-19.
The Prime Minister called on all classes of people, overseas Vietnamese, scientists, entrepreneurs, and businesses to uphold the patriotic spirit to actively contribute to the cause of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control with the spirit of “Who has less contribute less, who has more contribute more” so that we can successfully implement the vaccine strategy.
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