Japan has decided to transfer technology for producing one kind of combined vaccine against measles and rubella to Vietnam as part of its Strategy on Global Health Diplomacy issued by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in May. Accordingly, Japanese Daiichi Sankyo Group will send its researchers and technicians to work at the Vietnam Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals (POLYVAC) for a joint vaccine research and mass production. Under the project to be implemented until 2018, a measles vaccine production facility will make the new combined vaccine with an annual capacity of 7.5 million doses. Every year, Vietnam needs about 2.5 million doses of vaccine. Japan considers its cooperation as an active contribution to preventing the spread of diseases to in the Southeast Asian country. The local health sector statistics showed that more than 4,000 pregnant women had rubella while more than 200 babies were born with congenital defects due to rubella in 2011. Rubella cases in Southeast Asia have been on the rise in recent years. Most regional countries, however, are unable to produce their own vaccine against the disease. Under the strategy, Japan will coordinate with countries to improve maternal and child health as well as adopt policies to cope with infectious diseases in developing countries. (Dai Bieu Nhan Dan – People’s Deputy July 2 p2, Quan Doi Nhan Dan – People’s Army July 2 p8, vov.vn July 1)
