VNVC, Pfizer Expand Cooperation to Boost Vietnam's Vaccine Capabilities

Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company (VNVC) and U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer have expanded their cooperation to strengthen Vietnam's vaccination capacity and public health preparedness. The agreement was formalized in New York on September 22 during a visit by a high-level Vietnamese delegation led by Party General Secretary and President To Lam. The two companies aim to leverage their combined expertise and resources to support vaccination efforts, enhance the public health system's resilience against disease threats, and contribute to Vietnam's long-term healthcare objectives. This builds upon a memorandum of cooperation signed in March 2025, where Pfizer committed to knowledge sharing and supporting VNVC in developing an internationally compliant vaccine manufacturing facility in Vietnam. The initiative is designed to initially meet domestic demand and eventually integrate Vietnam into the global vaccine supply chain. VNVC operates nearly 300 vaccination centers across Vietnam, administering vaccines for infectious diseases such as pneumococcal disease, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and meningococcal disease. In May 2025, VNVC broke ground on its Vaccine and Biological Manufacturing Plant in Tay Ninh Province, a facility aimed at facilitating technology transfer and domestic vaccine production. Covering over 26,000 square meters, the plant's first phase investment exceeds VND2.5 trillion (approximately $96.12 million USD) and is projected to have a capacity of 100-120 million doses annually. VNVC is developing the facility to meet stringent international manufacturing standards, including WHO-GMP, EU-GMP, and FDA-cGMP, with the goal of completing infrastructure and manufacturing lines between 2027-2028 and launching domestically produced vaccines by 2029. In addition to its collaboration with Pfizer, VNVC is also engaged with other international pharmaceutical entities, including the UK's GSK and Russia's Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and its associated research centers. On September 10, at the Vietnam-France Business Forum in Paris, VNVC and French pharmaceutical company Sanofi exchanged a joint statement identifying three vaccine candidates for potential manufacturing cooperation: a six-in-one vaccine, a seasonal influenza vaccine, and a meningococcal vaccine. These collaborations, alongside the ongoing discussions with Pfizer, underscore VNVC's strategic efforts to build the necessary expertise, manufacturing infrastructure, and international partnerships for vaccine production in Vietnam.