Vietnam Approves China’s Sinopharm Vaccine for Use Against COVID-19

A nurse holds a box of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine made by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, a unit of Sinopharm subsidiary China National Biotec Group (CNBG), at a vaccination center during a government-organized visit, in Beijing, China, on April 15, 2021. Thomas Peter/File Photo/Reuters

HANOI—Vietnam has approved China’s Sinopharm vaccine for use against COVID-19, state media reported on Friday, making it the third brand to be endorsed in the Southeast Asian country that is tackling a new outbreak of infections.

The decision to approve the Sinopharm vaccine was issued by the health ministry, the official Vietnam News Agency reported. Vietnam has previously approved the AstraZeneca vaccine and Russia’s Sputnik V.