Third phase of COVID-19 vaccination campaign begins

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Hanoi – Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has asked agencies and localities nationwide to immediately make plans to carry out the third phase of COVID-19 vaccination on greater scale compared to the previous phases.

According to the official, 1.682 million doses of AstraZenceca COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in Vietnam on May 16, which are supplied by COVAX Facility via the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Dr Duong Thi Hong, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology said that the Expanded Programme on Immunisation will continue to hold trainings on COVID-19 vaccination, especially pre-vaccination screening and response to post-injection reations to ensure safety.

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr Phan Trong Lan, head of the Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute underlined the significance of COVID-19 vaccination amid the complicated pandemic situation in the region and the world with over 3 million deaths so far.

Minister Long said that the Ministry of Health has negotiated with many countries, organisations and vaccine producers, resulting in 110 million doses of vaccines committed for Vietnam, including 31 million doses from COVAX Facility, 30 million from AstraZeneca, and 31 million from Pfizer/BioNTech. The ministry has registered with COVAX to buy additional 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine under the cost-share mechanism, he added.

Long affirmed that the ministry is still working with other suppliers to diversify sources of supplies.

Since March 2021, the COVID-19 vaccination scheme has been carried out, with priority given to frontline medical workers and people involving in COVID-19 prevention and control activities.

As of May 13, 959,182 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered to the target groups in an effective and safe manner. The second phase of the scheme is expected to complete on May 15.