Professor Jonathan Van-Tam speaks at a press conference on the COVID-19 situation in London on November 29, 2021 (Photo:  AFP/TTXVN)

Jonathan Van-Tam, an Englishman of Vietnamese origin, was one of those receiving a Knighthood in the New Year's Honours list, which also included England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty.

Van-Tam, an expert on influenza, has been Deputy Chief Medical Officer of England since 2017. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, he has become famous for his press conferences on the epidemic situation that attracted millions of viewers. The Sunday Times called him an “unexpected hero in the pandemic”.

At the Vietnam National Day celebration in London in September last year, the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK honoured the professor for his provision of policy advice for Vietnam’s COVID-19 prevention and control.

The New Year's Honours list acknowledged achievements and contributions of people around the UK across different fields, including politics, entertainment, and sport.