HCMC – The Ministry of Health will order Covid-19 vaccines for children aged from five next year, said Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long.
Long said on September 13 that the country had been prioritizing inoculating residents aged from 18, Lao Dong newspaper reported.
When vaccine supply for Vietnam increases, the ministry will issue guidance for vaccination of children aged from 12 to 17.
The ministry has worked with vaccine suppliers and producers to place orders for the vaccines for next year.
Relating to the vaccination of children, the ministry on September 6 wrote to the Government responding to the prime minister’s requirement to vaccinate students. According to the Ministry of Health, it has striven to access sources of vaccine supply but the volume secured could not be enough to the demand in the short run.
Therefore, the ministry has instructed cities and provinces to prioritize vaccinating residents aged 18 and above.
When it has more vaccine supply, children aged under 17 will get their shots.
During the ongoing fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, many children have become Covid-19 cases or direct contacts of Covid-19 cases and must undergo treatment or quarantine.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, as of early this month, Vietnam had more than 11,800 children infected with Covid-19, with over 3,000 in HCMC.
At a virtual seminar on solutions to protect and take care of children amid the pandemic held by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) said the trials of some Covid-19 vaccines were being conducted on children. WHO will update recommendations when necessary.
Most children are at low risk of getting worse once they are infected with the coronavirus. The vaccination for them is aimed at reducing the transmission of the virus.
