Published July 28, 2021, 6:11 AM HANOI, Vietnam — Two Vietnamese companies have reached a technology transfer agreement with Japanese drugmaker Shionogi to produce COVID-19 vaccines, state media said Tuesday. A woman receives the Moderna Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine at a primary school in Hanoi on July 27, 2021. NHAC NGUYEN / AFP Vietnam is facing a surge in COVID-19 infections, with several areas including Hanoi and commercial hub Ho Chi Minh City put under lockdown to try to contain the outbreak. The Southeast Asian country — which has a population of nearly 100 million people — has been slow to procure and administer vaccines, with just 4.8 million doses given as of Tuesday.