Individuals in high-risk groups, such as healthcare workers, those with underlying problems, and those with chronic diseases, ought to have a fourth dose, according to professional advice.
Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hà Nội, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dương Thị Hồng, stated that more than 432,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which expires at the end of September 2024, are being stored in cold storage.
She stated that these vaccinations are being properly stored by following the right protocols.
This is the “reserve” of vaccines meant for high-risk and widespread epidemic areas. About 50,000 people are registered for another dose at this time.
Individuals in high-risk, susceptible categories, such as healthcare workers, persons with underlying medical issues, and people with chronic diseases, should receive a fourth dose, according to professional advice.
The Ministry of Health emphasized in the Plan for Sustainable Control and Management of COVID-19 in the 2023–25 term the significance of creating and executing a vaccination schedule that is appropriate for various target groups.
Although vaccination of high-risk groups is prioritized, COVID-19 vaccination should be incorporated into routine vaccination sessions at medical institutions, or vaccination campaigns should be planned in accordance with the reality of local deployment.
Health authorities report that Vietnam is among the countries with the highest COVID-19 vaccine coverage in the world, having provided about 266.5 million doses of the vaccine (to those under the age of five).
For those 12 years and older, the primary (two-dose) immunization coverage rate is almost 100%. The third dose coverage rate is 69.4% for children under the age of 18 and 82.1 percent for those over the age of 18.
The rate of fourth dose coverage for high-risk people who are 18 years of age or older is 89.6%.
For children under the age of twelve, the first and second dose immunization rates are 76.7% and 92.5%, respectively.
The COVID-19 issue in Vietnam is still under control. There are few occurrences, dispersed among several locations, and the afflicted individuals exhibit minimal or nonexistent symptoms. There are few serious instances and hospitalizations at treatment centers. Thus far, novel or uncommon variations have not been found by epidemiological surveillance.
Health officials have also noted an increase in respiratory-related illness cases, a cluster of unexplained pneumonia cases in children in several northern provinces of China, and a spike in COVID-19 incidences in some neighboring ASEAN countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore.
