HCM CITY — Sanofi-Aventis Vietnam Co Ltd and the National Institute for Control of Vaccines (NICVB) and Biologicals have signed a three-year memorandum of understanding to strengthen vaccine quality control in Việt Nam.

Sanofi is global pharmaceutical group with over 100 years of experience in vaccine development. The institute, which tests and verifies every batch of vaccine before they are released, belongs the Ministry of Health.

Under the agreement, the two sides will jointly organise scientific seminars, training programmes and knowledge-sharing activities on vaccines and biologicals to enhance the expertise of healthcare professionals across the country.

The partnership will also foster connections with domestic and international organisations, facilitating the sharing of information on regulations, standards and best practices in vaccine quality control.

The two partners will support the research, adoption and application of modern testing methodologies in vaccine quality assurance, including cooperation in the establishment and management of reference standards.

They said the agreement aligns with Resolution 72-NQ/TW issued by the Politburo last September calling for a shift from treatment-focused healthcare to proactive disease prevention.

Vaccination remains one of the most effective public health interventions.

It is estimated that in the last 50 years, vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives globally and contributed significantly to improved child survival and disease prevention.

Ensuring that every vaccine dose is safe and effective makes quality control a critical component of public health, the two sides said.

Dr. Ngô Phi Phương, director of NICVB, said the institute is implementing a range of initiatives to strengthen its quality control and management systems in line with World Health Organization standards and recommendations.

"This is not only an imperative in the context of deep international integration, but also a critical foundation for contributing to health security and improving public access to safe, effective and high-quality vaccines.

"Partnerships between national regulatory bodies and leading global pharmaceutical and vaccine companies such as Sanofi will help drive knowledge sharing, exchange of professional expertise, technical transfer, and the sustainable enhancement of quality management capacity."

Lucas Steinberg, head of vaccines and country lead at Sanofi Vietnam, said his company has spent more than 70 years supporting the health of Vietnamese people while working to expand access to high-quality vaccines for all, contributing to reducing the disease burden and strengthening public health.

"We share with NICVB a vision in which every Vietnamese citizen has access to internationally standardised vaccines, while also contributing to the realisation of Việt Nam’s aspiration to progressively master its own vaccine technology." — BIZHUB