Fifty foreign correspondents and their assistants in Vietnam have recently got their first Covid-19 vaccine shots, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

The vaccination drive was jointly held by the MoH and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in compliance with disease prevention protocol. All reporters made a medical declaration and were checked up and consulted by doctors.

No severe post-vaccination side effects occurred.

A foreign reporter is vaccinated against Covid-19. Photo: Trung Hieu/baoquocte

Previously, with a goal toward achieving herd immunity, more than 600 members of foreign diplomatic missions and United Nations agencies and their family members in Vietnam were vaccinated against Covid-19.

Talking to the media at the latest press briefing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 24, MoFA's spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang stated that there is no discrimination between Vietnamese and foreigners during the Covid-19 vaccination campaign.

“In the humanitarian spirit, the Vietnamese Government always cares for and supports foreigners living, studying, and working in Vietnam so they can live normally and safely, and receive medical care and intensive treatment when necessary,” Hang said.

Foreign citizens will be vaccinated when Vietnam receives more vaccines, with the aim to create herd immunity and repel the pandemic, she affirmed.

The spokesperson added that the foreign and health ministries have also studied a roadmap to expand the scope of incoming people in accordance with the local pandemic situation.

The MoH confirmed on June 30 morning 16,467 Covid-19 infections in Vietnam, with 6,764 recoveries and 80 deaths.

Since late April, when the pandemic’s latest wave broke out in Vietnam, the MoH has documented 13,147 patients nationwide.

The nation had administered over three million Covid-19 vaccine doses, with more than 150,000 people receiving two full doses, as of June 30.