COVID-19 vaccination to begin in Vietnam on March 8

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vaccination using the recently
imported AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to start on March 8, Minister of
Health informed a meeting of the National Steering Committee
for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on March 5.

Earlier, more than 117,600 doses of the vaccine,
manufactured in the Republic of Korea (RoK), arrived in Vietnam on February 24.
After holding working sessions with the producer, Vietnam has obtained an
for the batch from the RoK.

Long said the doses, verified by the ministry, meet the
conditions for vaccination in Vietnam.

As scheduled, on March 6, the Health Minister will chair a
conference to launch the and provide related training for
medical staff nationwide in the use and storage of the vaccine, as well as the handling
of post-injection complications.

According to the official, priority in vaccination will be
given to people at the front line of the fight against COVID-19, including
health, army, police, customs and immigration personnel; those working in
sectors offering essential services like aviation, transport, tourism and
education; people with chronic illnesses or above 65 years old; those living in
pandemic-hit areas; the poor and beneficiaries of social welfare policy.

People getting the shots will be monitored via digital
health records and receive e-certificates for their completion of inoculation.

Vietnam plans to import about 150 million doses of
vaccines this year./.