Vietnam speeding up vaccination nationwide

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long informed in the briefing to evaluate the progress of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Campaign yesterday that after one month, the campaign has seen impressive success. Particularly, Ho Chi Minh City in the last two weeks has been able to fight against the outbreak and safely vaccinate a large number of dwellers at the same time.

Citizens in District 7 of HCMC are vaccinated. (Photo: SGGP)

In one month carrying out the vaccination campaign, medical units have been able to receive, transport, and store the allocated vaccine effectively. They have cooperated with the military to build eight storage sites in seven military zones and in Hanoi Capital High Command with the capacity to store up to 60 vaccine doses.

The Health Ministry has already distributed 63 refrigerated trucks to military zones for vaccine transportation to different regions.

Until now, Vietnam has received over 18 million Covid-19 vaccine doses from various sources to inject to the frontline forces and individuals in highly risky areas like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, the provinces of Bac Giang, Bac Ninh.

In the last two weeks, nearly 400,000 people have been vaccinated each day on average. The total number of injected people reaches 10.5 million.

The Health Ministry shared that an additional quantity of 494,400 doses of Covid-19 AstraZeneca came to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, which means the total vaccine quantity received via COVAX mechanism comes to 9.1 million doses.

This ministry has released an official document about the planned vaccine allocation until the end of this year so that each region can accordingly prepare their own plan to ensure all people are injected with at least one vaccine dose.

To the end of 2021, the quantity of vaccine coming to Vietnam is expected to increase significantly, and thus all regions must be well prepared.

Minister Long suggested that the localities mobilize all possible forces to form various vaccination sites, while the Ministry of Information and Communications soon launch a propaganda campaign to encourage all citizens to install the app for vaccination registration and certificate issuance.

Deputy Minister of National Defense Vu Hai San said that the military can use helicopters to transport vaccine to remote areas and islands so that people there can be injected as scheduled.

The Health Ministry yesterday also sent an official dispatch to HCMC People’s Committee regarding the vaccine purchase and import of the city. When working with Zuellig Pharma, the agency assigned by Moderna to distribute its Covid-19 vaccine in the Asia-Pacific region, the Health Ministry supports HCMC’s decision to buy Moderna’s vaccine to serve its dwellers, and promises to facilitate the procedures for the issuance of import permit and vaccine evaluation certificate.

However, until August 8, the ministry has received no information yet on the progress of this purchase, and thus asking that HCMC People’s Committee confirm its decision to buy the Moderna vaccine batch. If the city refuses to buy the batch, it should report before August 15 so that the Health Ministry can propose to the Prime Minister to pass this chance of purchasing 5 million Moderna doses in 2021 to other provinces.

Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Health Nguyen Hoai Nam yesterday informed that the Vero Cell batch of 19,000 doses delivered to the city by the Health Ministry on July 6 will be used from August 10. This batch is an aid from China.

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