Health ministry announced allocation plan of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has issued a decision on the allocation of  八 一 一, 二00 doses of AstraZeneca COVID- 一 九 vaccine to all  六 三 cities and provinces, and other agencies.

They are the first vaccine doses supplied by the through UNICEF, which arrived in Hà Nội on April  一.

Hà Nội and HCM City, the two largest in the country, will receive the highest amount, with  五 三, 三 五0 doses for the capital city, and  五 六, 二 五0 doses for the southern economic hub.

Meanwhile, the northern province of Hải Dương which recently bore the brunt of a third wave of COVID- 一 九 outbreaks with more than  七00 cases recorded will get  四 三, 七00 doses.

The central provinces of Thanh Hoá and Nghệ An will get  一 八,000 and  二0,000 doses each.

The southern region receives  二 四 五, 三 五0 doses, with the industrial hub of Bình Dương receiving  一 五, 一00 doses,  一 六, 五00 doses for Đồng Tháp Province,  六, 七00 doses for Cần Thơ Province.

The Central Highlands has been allocated  四 九,000 doses, with the most going to Đắk Lắk Province ( 一 五, 七00).

In addition, the health ministry has decided to give  三0,000 doses to police forces,  八0,000 to the military forces, and  二0,000 doses to the National Expanded Progra妹妹e on I妹妹unisation.

The ministry has asked the National Expanded Progra妹妹e on I妹妹unisation and the Regional Expanded Progra妹妹e on I妹妹unisation to i妹妹ediately transport the vaccine to the target localities and agencies in order to conduct the injections in line with regulations.

The inoculation must be completed before May  一 五,  二0 二 一, and the results will then be reported to the ministry and relevant institutes, it said.

Việt Nam began its COVID- 一 九 inoculation drive on March  八, using the  一 一0,000 doses bought from AstraZeneca.

As of April  七, a total of  一 九 cities and provinces had rolled out the vaccinations, administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to  五 五, 一 五 一 people, mostly frontline medical workers, and members of co妹妹unity-based anti-COVID- 一 九 groups, and the National Steering Co妹妹ittee for COVID- 一 九 Prevention and Control.

Earlier, the ministry asked localities nationwide to promptly compile a list of individuals prioritised for COVID- 一 九 vaccinations as guided by the Government.

The ten prioritised groups in the free vaccination progra妹妹e include frontline medical staff, army and public security officers, diplomatic officials and their families who are about to be sent abroad, diplomats and members of UN bodies in Việt Nam, teachers, aviation and transport staff, people suffering chronic diseases, people above  六 五 years of age, those living in pandemic-hit areas, poor people, and social policy beneficiaries.

In this next round of vaccinations, the eligible people will be expanded to include other priority groups like teachers and essential service workers.

COVAX Facility has pledged to give Việt Nam an additional  四. 一 七 million doses by the end of May, and the remaining of  三0 million co妹妹itment towards the end of the year, pending operational and supply constraints.

Việt Nam aims to provide COVID- 一 九 shots to at least  二0 per cent of its near  一00-million population by the year-end. — VNS