Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s roadmap for receiving COVID-19 vaccines can be affected due to a global shortage, with the vaccines likely to come in droves in the fourth quarter this year.

The country is sparing no effort to complete vaccinating its citizens in late 2021 or early 2022, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said at a meeting of the national steering committee for the 2021-2022 COVID-19 vaccination drive held on July 2.

The minister said the goal is a huge requirement. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a target for herd immunity by 2023, and that of other countries is within 2022 and in early 2023.

Huge demand for vaccination

At the meeting, Long affirmed the drive, the largest of its kind in Vietnam’s immunization history, is conducting on a nationwide scale, with the vaccines given to people as fast and widespread as possible. However, its safety, effectiveness, fairness and transparency must be ensured.

Vietnam ought to spare no efforts to get this difficult task done, he stated

Apart from the Ministry of Health, the drive also involves close coordination among the Ministries of Defence, Transport, Public Security, Information and Communications and local-level authorities.

“People’s demand for vaccination is huge, hence our responsibility is to conduct an effective and safe scheme,” the minister underscored, reiterating the Prime Minister’s direction of letting no doses wasted.

According to him, Vietnam has signed agreements for 105 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to be delivered this year. However, due to a global shortage, the deliveries can be late, with the vaccines likely to come in droves in the fourth quarter this year.

As such, the drive is required to be implemented nationwide in a more effective and faster manner. It will see vaccination taking place across 19,000 locations such as commune-level medical establishments and mobile vaccination facilities.

Regarding the transport, preservation, distribution, and injection of COVID-19 vaccines, tight collaboration among ministries and sectors like the Ministries of Health, Transport, Defence, and Public Security is required to ensure proper monitoring and quality assessment.

IT application is also a big part of the drive to facilitate and manage activities involved from people’s registration for vaccination and health screening to the organisation of vaccination at different venues.

Information transparent for everyone

The Health Minister took the occasion to ask the ministry’s subcommittee for safe vaccination to conduct relevant training on pre- and post-vaccination safety procedures for health personnel involved.

He also requested all medical facilities nationwide conduct health screening and classify target groups aged from 18 and above. The screening has to be done within July.

Earlier, at the Government’s regular meeting on July 1, Long said Vietnam is scheduled to receive 30 million doses of vaccines in the third quarter of 2021.

According to the minister, Vietnam received commitments to be provided with 105 million doses and is negotiating for an additional 45 million doses this year.

As of July 1, more than 3.81 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered nationwide, including more than 2.57 million doses in June alone. As many as 204,000 people have received both shots./.