They are medical workers; people in the anti-pandemic efforts (COVID-19 prevention and control steering committees of all levels, quarantine facility staff, reporters, etc.); diplomats, customs officers and people working entry and exit procedures; military personnel; public security forces; teachers; elders above 65 years old; essential workers (aviation, transport, tourism staff, utility workers, etc.); people with chronic health issues; people who want to study or work overseas; and people in virus-hit regions.
The priority ranking is evaluated based on criteria such as areas where COVID-19 cases are present, areas with COVID-19 deaths occurred, major cities with high population density and localities considered traffic and transit hubs.
 |
| Photo for illustration. |
Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen stated that, the vaccination drive will aim to eventually inoculate 80 per cent of the Vietnamese population against the COVID-19 in a bid to achieve herd immunity.
However, with the current limited supply that they have secured, health authorities are targeting 20 per cent coverage in the 2021-22 period, with 95 per cent of high-risk groups being vaccinated.
The majority of doses from the first batch of 4,886,000 doses from the COVAX mechanism – 25-35 per cent delivered in the first quarter of 2021, and 65-75 per cent delivered in the second quarter – will be given to medical workers.
In the first quarter, the health ministry expects to inoculate 95 per cent of 500,000 frontline medical workers and 116,000 anti-pandemic staff. 1.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine are to be used (each will be given two shots as per recommendations).
In the second quarter, the health ministry aims to inoculate 95 per cent of 9,200 customs officers, 4,080 diplomats, 1,027,000 military officers, 304,000 public security officers, and 550,000 teachers that are considered in high risks categories. All in all, 3.6 million doses are to be used in this period for 1.8 million people.
In the third and fourth quarter, if the promise of COVAX Facility to provide enough doses to cover 20 per cent of each eligible recipient country’s population is fulfilled, Vietnam will inoculate nearly 16.5 million with 33 million doses. 95 per cent of 750,000 teachers, 7,600,000 elders above 65 years old, 1,930,000 essential service workers, and 7,000,000 adults with chronic health issues are to be given the jabs.
