The Ministry of Health has been actively working with Covid-19 vaccine suppliers and producers in order to buy the vaccines for children who are from five years old.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long

Responding to the Ministry of Education and Training’s proposal on vaccinating high school students against Covid-19, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that at present, due to the limited vaccine supply, Vietnam prioritised people aged from 18.

When the country has more abundant Covid-19 vaccines, the Ministry of Health will issue specific instructions on Covid-19 vaccination for people aged below 18.

Since late April when the fourth Covid-19 wave started hitting Vietnam, many local children have been affected by the pandemic. According to a report from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, by September 1, nearly 11,800 children in Vietnam had become Covid-19 patients (F0). Meanwhile, around 22,800 other children had close contact with F0 cases. HCM City children were hardest hit with more than 3,000 children being F0 and F1.

Dang Hoa Nam, head of the Department of Child Affairs under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said 250 orphans in HCM City have lost either lost one or both parents to Covid-19.

Source: Dtinews