Vietnam officially begins vaccination for citizens

The medical team of the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases receiving vaccines stored in a cold chain and rigorously monitored to ensure safety and quality

The first injections will be given to priority groups who fulfill key positions at frontline work and are constantly in contact with the disease, including medical staff treating COVID-19 patients, tracers, and testers, people working in isolation zones, COVID-19 community groups, all levels of staff of the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention, as well as police and national defence forces in virus-affected localities.

According to Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, apart from the three first places in Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Duong province, vaccination will be held in 13 provinces, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Haiphong, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Hung Yen, Hoa Binh, Gia Lai, Binh Duong, Dien Bien, and Ha Giang.

The COVID-19 vaccine used in this first round of injection is the AstraZeneca vaccine, one of three that has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for use in emergencies. This vaccine is used in more than 50 countries and regions.

COVID-19 injection at the Kim Thanh district medical centre in Hai Duong province

Each person over 18 years of age will be given two doses of the vaccine, the second one 12 weeks after the first one was administered, with a dose of 0.5ml, intramuscularly.

Currently, due to the limited global supply of vaccines, the Ministry of Health is actively negotiating to import vaccines from different sources to expand vaccination as soon as possible.

Immediately after arriving in Vietnam, the vaccine will be quickly distributed to vaccination stations in accordance with the Government's Resolution No.21/NQ-CP dated February 26, with the aim of averting the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, the ministry is also urgently promoting research, testing, and production of vaccines in the country to ensure an autonomous, sustainable source of COVID-19 vaccines.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is 76 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19 infection after the first injection and 81 per cent after the second injection, and hospitalisation by COVID-19 has not been reported among those vaccinated.