HCMC to administer fourth vaccine shots next week

Over 1.8 million people in Ho Chi Minh City will receive their fourth Covid-19 vaccine doses next week, according to the city’s Department of Health.

The group to be offered a second booster injection, or a fourth dose, includes people aged 50 and over. The number is expected to be more than 1.8 million.

People aged 18 years or older with moderate to severe immunodeficiency or belonging to the group at high risk of being exposed to Covid-19 like health workers, frontline anti-pandemic workers, and people working at industrial parks are also entitled to the injection this time.

The type of vaccine to be used includes mRNA vaccine manufactured by Pfizer or Moderna, the AstraZeneca vaccine, and vaccine of the same type as the third dose.

The interval is at least four months after the third dose. People who have contracted Covid-19 after receiving the third dose will have the injection delayed for three months.

Previously, the Ministry of Health asked cities and provinces to makes plans for a fourth-dose vaccination no later than May 25.

No province or city has announced the rollout of a fourth dose except for Ho Chi Minh City.

As of May 4, 2022, over 215 million doses have been administered in Vietnam, with nearly 100 per cent of adults having been fully vaccinated, official data shows.

About 96.4% of children in the age range 12-17 are fully vaccinated, while 13.7 per cent of those from five to 12 years old have received their first doses.

The country has put Covid-19 under control, with daily infections, hospitalizations, and death rates dropping sharply. Most pandemic-related restrictions have been lifted.