Health Ministry yet to consider COVID-19 endemic disease

COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health has proposed considering
COVID-19 a , not an endemic disease in its latest
draft on COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the new situation.

Per the draft, Vietnam is still in the transition period
between pandemic prevention and sustainable management.

Regarding the reason why has not been considered an
in Vietnam yet, the said that most countries in
the world are in a state of unstable cases and deaths, with an erratic increase
and decrease trend when new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus appear. At the
same time, acquired immunity (due to vaccines and infection) has not been
stable for a long time and decreases over time.

As a result, the application of epidemic prevention and
control measures should be flexible and gradually moves towards the “new
normal”.

The announcement of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in
Vietnam may be considered when the World Health Organisation declares the end
of the pandemic or public health event of concern globally; and when the
country’s situation continues to be well controlled./.