VNVC commemorates compatriots lost to Covid-19

VNVC held a flower-laying ceremony at the Teardrop Monument, remembering citizens, officials, soldiers, and frontline workers who died during the Covid-19 pandemic.

VNVC recently organized a commemoration ceremony on 8/3, marking five years since the first Covid-19 vaccine doses were deployed by VNVC in Vietnam. According to a representative, the event offered an opportunity for staff to reflect on a unique period in the nation's medical history.

Staff members of the VNVC Vaccination System laid flowers at the monument, reflecting on a unique period in the nation's medical history. Photo: Nhan Le

At the event, Tran Nguyen Cong Nguyen, Operations Director of the VNVC Vaccination System, highlighted vaccines as a crucial foundation for public health protection and national health security. For VNVC, the effort to bring Covid-19 vaccines to Vietnam, as the first private medical unit to do so, was a historic milestone. It also underscored the necessity of significant investment in research, high-quality vaccine production, and the establishment of a professional supply chain and vaccination system.

VNVC also focused on training personnel and community outreach to increase awareness about vaccination, empowering citizens to proactively protect their health.

Staff members of the VNVC Vaccination System laid flowers at the "Teardrop Monument" in TP HCM, commemorating compatriots, officials, and soldiers who died during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Nhan Le

In late 2020 and early 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic severely impacted the globe, including Vietnam. VNVC invested USD 30 million (equivalent to VND 700 billion) in AstraZeneca - Oxford vaccine research, which helped Vietnam become the first Southeast Asian country to secure this vaccine source and acquire 30 million doses for a large-scale vaccination campaign.

On 24/2/2021, the first vaccine batch arrived at Tan Son Nhat airport and was swiftly transported to pandemic hotspots. VNVC medical staff participated in urgent vaccination efforts, viewing each injection as an opportunity to save a life. On 8/3/2021, the first doses were administered to frontline forces.

Drawing from the pandemic's experience, VNVC continues to expand its system, now operating nearly 260 vaccination centers nationwide. The unit also invested over VND 2,500 billion to construct a vaccine factory in Tay Ninh. This factory aims to proactively produce high-quality domestic vaccines, enhancing research, production, and supply capabilities, reducing reliance on global sources, and preparing for emerging diseases and health emergencies.

Additionally, VNVC has collaborated with international partners to transfer vaccine production technology, striving to strengthen preventive medicine capacity and ensure national health security.

At the commemoration, VNVC expressed deep emotion and profound sympathy for the losses suffered by compatriots during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The commemoration took place on 8/3, five years after VNVC deployed Covid-19 vaccine doses in Vietnam.

The ceremony also allowed VNVC medical staff to reflect on a unique period in the nation's medical history.

At 10h40 on 24/2/2021, leaders from the Ministry of Health, the Consul General of the United Kingdom, and VNVC welcomed the first batch of 117,600 Covid-19 vaccine doses at Tan Son Nhat airport.

On the afternoon of 24/2/2021, VNVC transported Vietnam's first Covid-19 vaccine batch to its GSP-certified international storage system, ready for distribution to Hanoi that same night.