A woman gets inoculated against COVID-19 at the vaccination site in Phu Tho Gynasium in Ho Chi Minh City on June 24 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The list of groups given priority in COVID-19 vaccination has
been expanded in the largest-ever immunisation campaign of Vietnam.
Minister
of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has signed off a plan for implementing the national
COVID-19 vaccination drive from now to April 2022.
The
plan, taking effect on July 8, will be updated based on real-time pandemic
developments and the vaccine supply, and it will serve as the basis for
agencies and localities to make and carry out their inoculation plans.
According
to the ministry’s implementation plan, aside from the existing priority groups,
religious dignitaries, informal workers, and other groups decided by the Health
Minister or chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees or proposed by
vaccine suppliers will be prioritised for vaccination.
Persons
with chronic diseases, those aged over 65, residents in pandemic-hit areas,
low-income people, policy beneficiaries, food sellers, traders in markets,
builders, and informal workers are also now listed as part of the priority
groups.
The
campaign prioritises four groups of localities, including the ones currently having
outbreaks and those located in key economic regions or piloting economic
development projects of the Government.
Provinces
and cities with many industrial parks and clusters, a big number of workers,
and large populations, along with those boasting borderlines, high travel
frequency, and international border gates will also be among the first
beneficiaries.
The
Ministry of Health (MoH) has been making efforts to access sources of COVID-19
vaccine supply via different channels. As a result, about 105 million doses
have been committed for Vietnam.
The
country looks to have about 70 percent of the population inoculated to achieve
herd immunity by late 2021 or early 2022.
To
that end, it is necessary to engage various forces in the drive such as
healthcare, military, and public security forces and to conduct immunisation simultaneously
at vaccination establishments, both public and private ones, nationwide, the ministry
said.
It
targets that at least 50 percent of people aged 18 and above will be vaccinated
against COVID-19 in 2021, and more than 70 percent of the population will get
the shots by the end of the first quarter next year./.