Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Professor Hoang Thuy Nguyen is well known for his contribution to Viet Nam’s successes in researching and producing different varieties of vaccines for such diseases as polio and hepatitis B. Nguyen talks with Viet Nam News (VNS) about the present effort to develop a vaccine for avian flu by the end of this year.

Professor Hoang Thuy Nguyen was born in the capital city’s outlying district of Tu Liem in 1929. He has been awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize, the Labour Hero Order and many other noble prizes for his contributions to the country’s medical sector.

VNS: After several weeks of injecting into monkeys with bird flu vaccine in the northern province of Quang Ninh, could you tell us about the condition of the animals?

All of the monkeys are strong after three weeks of vaccination. It means that the vaccine effectively immunised the monkeys against bird flu.

Our target with this trial injection is to prove the immunological safety and efficacy of the vaccine. I believe the vaccine has passed the test because the monkeys have had no adverse reaction. We have already administered trial doses to 45 rats and 15 chickens, all with good results.

The trial vaccination on monkeys is significant because the animals’ bodies resemble humans’. This is the final stage of the vaccination trial process. Success at this stage means our research phase is nearly complete.

VNS: How do you plan to carry out trial vaccinations on people? Who will be the volunteers?

We will take the trial vaccination ourselves. We have researched and produced the vaccine so that we understand it and we are comfortable with volunteering to inject the vaccine into our own bodies. Of couse, we must exercise caution before making any trial vaccinations on people. This extends past science to touch on medical ethics.

VNS: When will you be able to widely produce the vaccine against the H5N1 virus?

We expect to have the vaccine available very soon. Recently, Japan has discovered H5N1 virus in flies, indicating that the virus has already infected insects. If we have no means to prevent the disease, the danger of epidemic is very high. Nevertheless, we must exercise caution in developing and testing vaccines before producing them widely.

VNS: What vaccines have you taken part in researching and producing?

My first vaccine research was for polio 43 years ago.

In 1959, a polio epidemic occurred, and many died. I set to work immediately in 1960 and successully tested a vaccine two years later. In 1962, we brought monkeys to breed on Reu Island, known as Monkey Island, in order to create an environment for testing polio vaccine and, later, many other kinds of vaccine.

The research contributed to Viet Nam entirely eradicating polio by 2000.

VNS: SARS is another disease that is worrying people all over the world and in Viet Nam. Do you have a plan to develop a vaccine for the disease?

We will research and produce a SARS vaccine after the H5N1 vaccine. Some other scientists and I have isolated and identified the SARS virus. I can say that we have sufficient premises to make a vaccine against SARS. The process to produce SARS vaccine will be quicker than that for H5N1 because we have self-confidence, a group of skilled scientists, and the capacity and methods in place. However, we may not implement the SARS plan this year because the need for a bird flu vaccine is more urgent.

VNS: Could you tell us about your team?

The team of vaccine researchers gathers volunteer scientists. Our job began in 2004, and we have already achieved incredible results.

The team has eight members from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and Vabiotech Company. Each of them has a specific speciality such as biochemistry, vaccines, virology, microbiology, immunology and chemistry necessary for vaccine research.

I have gathered them, and, if we were a team of filmmakers, then I would be the director. The team is very young, but they have been methodically trained and love the job. I highly value their working results.

We work following a parallel method. For example, the trial vaccination has taken place on monkeys, chickens and rats at the same time with the growth of cells in the monkey’s kidneys to produce the vaccine.

We are racing against the development of an epidemic.

VNS: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I joined the army in 1949 when I was studying at the College of Medicine. At a break in the war with France, in 1952, I moved from the armed forces to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and was put in charge of work on combating biological warfare.

In 1954, I joined the Dien Bien Phu campaign by building a laboratory in the battle front.

Six years ago, I fainted while attending a conference. Some days later, I awoke and found my arms and legs were paralysed due to a brain haemorrhage.

Now I have recovered a lot. I feel stronger when I research a bird flu vaccine. I think that the more I work, the more I recover. - VNS