Hanoi’s healthcare workers will provide second doses and booster injections of the Covid-19 vaccine to strengthen people's immunity in all 30 districts during and after Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, according to the municipal Center for Disease Control (Hanoi CDC).

The work is under the request of Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh, the CDC said, adding that the city has set the target to achieve full vaccine coverage by the end of February as directed by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

The center stressed that all residents in the city could come to any vaccination site for vaccination without prior registration.

The capital city is still recording the highest daily number of new infections in the country, with roughly 3,000 cases a day in recent weeks. Districts with a high amount of patients, more than 100 new ones per day, include Hoang Mai, Dong Da, Nam Tu Liem, Gia Lam and Thanh Tri.

On January 31 morning, the last day of the Lunar New Year, residents in Hang Bot Ward, Hanoi's inner district of Dong Da was tested and made a medical declaration before getting Covid-19 vaccine. Photo: Tran Minh

Hanoi has founded mobile medical stations and is aiming to have no critical cases or fatalities.

Almost all death cases from Covid-19 in the city are the elderly, those with underlying diseases, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people.

As of January 31, around 99.5% of children between 12 and 14 years old in the capital city have received the first dose, and 89.1% double dosed. As many as 99.4% of children between 15 and 17 received the first dose and 93.3% are fully vaccinated.

Vietnam starts Covid-19 vaccination campaign in spring 2022

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said at a meeting this week that the ministry will organize a nationwide vaccination campaign in spring 2022 for all children and adults by the end of February 28.

Localities were asked to direct local health authorities to carry out the vaccination campaign in their areas. The health ministry was proposing army forces and police to join hands in the campaign.

Besides, localities ought to use other expanded vaccination facilities eligible for vaccination to implement compulsory vaccination for the community.

If localities speed up vaccination, they necessarily arrange mobile vaccination venues around factory premises, industrial park premises, school premises, and cultural house premises to vaccinate people at the same time.

The Ministry of Health said nearly 100% of people aged above 18 in cities and provinces have been given the first shot of Covid-19 vaccines, 95.6% the second shot, and 18.6% the booster shot. The rate of children aged 12-17 being given the first and second shots reached 94.1% and 82.2%, respectively.