Vietnam’s southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City on June 19 started vaccinating on the large scale following the rising infections over the last few days while Hanoi eyes relaxing Covid-19 restrictions.

Post-vaccination app enables recipients to monitor their health status. Photo: MoH

Roughly 836,000 doses will be administered in the city’s biggest vaccination campaign. Today, the inoculation begins with workers in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Thu Duc City.

“To carry out this vaccination campaign, we have mobilized local healthcare force and central agencies located in the city, including military hospitals, police hospitals, and military preventive medicine institutes,” according to Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said that the vaccine supply meets only part of the city’s 2.3 million people in priority groups, so top priority will be given to workers in industrial parks, export processing zones, police officers and military personnel.

The city’s health workers were vaccinated in the previous inoculation programs.

Local experts at the workshop held by Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV) on June 19 said that the vaccination becomes essential for Vietnam in pursuing the twin goals of containing the pandemic and developing the economy.

Dr. Vu Thanh Tu Anh, Director of Research at Fulbright Economics Teaching Program, said “With rising infections caused in the fresh outbreak, Vietnam needs to change its anti-pandemic strategy from defense to attack with the vaccination. Speeding up the vaccine import becomes the urgent issue.”

Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Director of the Public Policy Program at FUV, said the Government needs to get ready in finance for the vaccine purchase. “Vietnam will get vaccine soon if the country’s willing to negotiate at high price at this time. The cost is although high, is still smaller than the economic damage if the outbreak spreads on the large scale.”

Dr Nguyen Thu Anh, Country Director, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, said it’s necessary to ensure four criteria in carrying out the largest vaccination campaign, including safety, effectiveness, herd immunity, and maintaining this immunity.

On the same day, Vinh City, the biggest city and economic and cultural center of the north-central Vietnam, is put lockdown for at least two weeks after it reported dozens of infections.

Hanoi launches contribution campaign for the Covid-19 fight. Photo: Kinhtedothi

In another move, Hanoi in Saturday evening [June 19] launched a campaign to call for contributions to the city’s fight against Covid-19. It’s also aimed to improve awareness of the vaccination campaign among local residents.

Addressing the launching ceremony, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh said “The city is committed to fully monitor donations, transparently manage and use it for right purposes to make each single dose of vaccine to be used effectively.”

In terms of infections, Vietnam reports 471 confirmed cases on June 19, lifting the tally to 12,900. The number of deaths stays at 64.

Ho Chi Minh City ranks third for the number of Covid-19 patients with 1,481, behind Bac Ninh 1,506, and Bac Giang 5,310.

Vietnam's coronavirus cases. Source: MoH. Chart: Minh Vu