Vietnamplus

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has approved a national science-technology programme for promoting studies and production of human vaccines by 2030.

Routine immunisation of children has resumed in HCM City, the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak, after being temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control (HCDC).

Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the number of domestic COVID-19 cases decreased as people had acquired immunity to the virus naturally or through vaccination.

A total of 143,000 students in Malaysia, except those in Kedah and Johor, began returning to school on October 4 after all schools in the country were closed for about six months due to the spread of COVID-19.

Vietnam has received 300 vaccine refrigerators funded by the Government of Japan through UNICEF, of which 100 refrigerators have arrived in Ho Chi Minh City Port and another 200 in Hai Phong Port, UNICEF Vietnam announced on October 1.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the COVAX Facility to quickly allocate COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam during a teleconference with its Office Managing Director Aurélia Nguyen on September 20.

Malaysia's National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme for Adolescents officially kicked off on September 20, targeting 3.2 million teenagers aged 12 to 18, according to Malaysia’s Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Laos has completely locked down four central districts in its capital city of Vientiane in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, while Malaysia has planned to offer booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines to frontline forces and the elderly to increase their immunity.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) on September 17 approved with conditions for the emergency use of Cuba's Abdala COVID-19 vaccine in COVID-19 prevention and control.

Ho Chi Minh City has basically completed giving the first shots of COVID-19 vaccines to those aged above 18 while new infections are on the decrease, the municipal Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control told a press conference on September 16.

The Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee and the sub-committee for mobilising social assistance under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on September 16 launched a programme calling for more support from people nationwide for the COVID-19 fight.

Hundreds of high schools in many provinces and cities of Cambodia officially reopened on September 15 after nearly six months of closure due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Vietnam had administered over 30.4 million doses of vaccines against COVID-19 by noon on September 14, according to data from the National Immunisation Portal.

Some 500,000 people will receive the Vero Cell COVID-19 vaccine under a vaccination drive launched by the northern port city of Hai Phong on September 8. The drive will last for 10-15 days.

Available evidence suggests that children are less at risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 infection compared with other groups. However, it is necessary to teach children basic preventive measures including keeping a safe distance, avoiding mass gatherings, wearing masks properly, and regularly washing their hands, a World Health Organisation expert has said.

The Jakarta government plans to re-open schools from August 30 after the restriction on community activities (PPKM) is lifted.

The Lao Ministry of Health reported in the past 24 hours, the country recorded 336 new cases, including 189 imported cases that were quarantined upon arrival.

The Philippine Department of Health on August 23 recorded 18,332 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily surge since the pandemic broke out in the country.

The Ministry of Information and Communications and Ministry of Health has called on localities to take full advantage of information technology to administer vaccinations rapidly and effectively.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Hung Vuong Hospital is offering COVID-19 vaccines to expectant women from the 13th week of pregnancy, starting from August 12.