Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – In addition to speeding up vaccinations against COVID-19 in the remaining months of this year, localities must build plans for the inoculation in 2022, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen has said.
The Deputy Minister of Health made the statement during a virtual conference to review the inoculation progress with all 63 cities and provinces held on October 11.
Vietnam is projected to need 166 million doses of vaccines in 2022, including those for children between 12 and 18 years old.
As of October 10, Vietnam had received 87.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, according to a report of the Ministry of Health’s General Department of Preventive Medicine and the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. As many as 81.7 million doses have been distributed to localities.
To date, nearly 55 million doses have been administered, with some 16 million people fully vaccinated, or 22.1 percent of the population.
Ho Chi Minh City has to date received the highest number of vaccine doses and taken the lead in vaccination coverage.
As many as 12.3 million doses have been administered, with 5.3 million people, or 72 percent of the southern hub’s population, having received two full shots.
Vietnam is expected to receive more than 65 million doses in the two remaining months of 2021, Tuyen said.
He also asked localities to work to administer the first COVID-19 vaccine jab to foreigners by October 31 and update data to the vaccination system.
He called for prompt vaccine delivery and transport to localities./.
