Vietnam will continue using the AstraZenecca vaccine in the time to come. - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)Addressing an online meeting with representatives from 63 provinces and cities,and their health sectors on accelerating COVID-19 prevention and vaccination efforts,Long warned that Vietnam is in danger of experiencing another outbreak.
He stressed that controlling the pandemic this year will be very difficult forall countries, not just Vietnam.
At the meeting (Photo: VNA)The Ministry of Health - the standing agency of the National Steering Committeefor COVID-19 Prevention and Control - will continue to strengthen its directionas well as inspection and supervision of high-risk areas.
He underlined the urgent need to prevent illegal travel in border areas and to strictlytackle violations.
Regarding vaccinations, Long said the ministry has made efforts to negotiatewith suppliers around the world to purchase larger volumes as soon as possible.
In addition to more than 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that wereimported into Vietnam at the end of February, 811,200 more doses of AstraZeneca,sponsored by the COVAX Facility throughUNICEF, have also arrived in the country.
Forty-nine out of Vietnam’s 63 cities and provinces nationwide have beenprovided with vaccines from the second batch, he said.
The ministry has directed localities to promptly map out plans and speed upvaccinations, towards completing the task by May 5.
So far, 75,000 people have received COVID-19 vaccinations, Long said, and affirmedthat Vietnam will continue using the AstraZenecca vaccine in the time to come.
At the meeting, a representative of the World Health Organisation praisedVietnam’s efforts and affirmed that the benefits vaccines offer far outweighthe risks.
Also on April16, the last COVID-19 patient in northern Hai Duong province, which wasVietnam’s largest hotspot during the third wave of outbreaks, was dischargedfrom hospital./.
VNA
