The Johnson & Johnson (J&J) company in Vietnam had proposed the vaccine for approval earlier this month, providing data on its safety, quality and effectiveness. The ministry’s approval of the vaccine is dependent on the developer guaranteeing its safety and quality, providing further data when requested, and cooperating in distribution, administration and risk management.

Previously, Vietnam had approved five other Covid-19 vaccines: AstraZeneca, Sputnik-V, Pfizer, Moderna and Sinopharm.

Unlike the aforementioned vaccines, the J&J vaccine requires only one shot instead of two. Clinical trials around the globe with 44,000 volunteers have revealed an efficacy of 66 percent.

The J&J vaccine has already been approved by the WHO on March 12 and is now available in 24 countries and territories.

Over 4.14 million people in Vietnam have received at least one AstraZeneca vaccine shot, and over 286,700 having already received two.

The country expects to acquire 124 million Covid-19 vaccine doses from various sources by the end of this year, according to the General Deparment of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health.