HCMC – With an appropriate Covid-19 vaccine already chosen for children aged from 12 to 17, the Ministry of Health expects over 95% of these children to be fully vaccinated in the next quarter, said Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen.
At a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and some ministries and agencies on October 13, the deputy minister said Vietnam had more than eight million children 12 to 17 years of age, so some 16 million doses would be needed. The ministry is readying the vaccine, the local media reported.
As for over 14 million children aged three to 11, the ministry is looking into appropriate vaccine sources, learning from the experience of other countries and consulting with domestic experts and scientists over their vaccination.
Tuyen asked the governments of cities and provinces to direct the Departments of Education and Training to review documents issued by the Ministries of Health and Education-Training to improve pandemic prevention and control at educational institutions and reopen schools.
At the meeting, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said schools across the country had been flexible with teaching and learning. Those in areas with a low risk of transmission are organizing in-person classes, while schools in high-risk and extremely-high-risk areas are holding online classes.
The ministry asked local education authorities to decide when they want to end the school year based on the actual situation on the ground, including prolonging the school year if needed.
In addition, when schools reopen, the online learning environment should be maintained. The ministry has also worked with Vietnam Television to continue developing lessons for students, especially the first and second graders.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said the 2021-2022 school year had seen more difficulties than the previous school year. Many localities have yet to allow students to return to in-person classes.
He sought effective plans to complete the school year and make up for unfinished learning, even in the next few years.
The deputy prime minister also asked the Ministry of Health to coordinate with the Ministries of Education-Training and Information-Communications to organize the registration for the vaccination of children aged 12 to 17 so they can get their shots quickly and safely once the vaccines are made available.
