Binh Duong accelerates Covid-19 vaccination coverage to protect people’s health

Due to the appearance of new Omicron variants, such as BA.4, BA.5, BA.2.12.1, the Covid-19 vaccination strategy is identified by Binh Duong Province as the optimal solution to protect people's health and stable production chain. In recent days, 91/91 medical stations in communes, wards and townships in the province have accelerated the vaccination progress for the many people groups, so that the rate of vaccinated people has skyrocketed.

Vaccination is the best solution to protect people's health. In photo: Vaccination against Covid-19 for people in Thu Dau Mot city.

To accelerate injection of third and fourth shots

In recent days, the number of people getting vaccinated against Covid-19 in Binh Duong has increased. Many vaccination sites in the community or at medical stations in communes, wards and townships were crowded with people. In a quick survey, most people came to get the third and fourth vaccinations. At a vaccination site in Tan Binh ward, Di An city, most of elderly people with underlying diseases came to receive the third and fourth shots. Nguyen Thi Thai, who lives in Tan Phu neighborhood, took her mother to get the fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine, said: “I take my mother to the health station early to get vaccinated. In recent days, I heard information about the appearance of a new variants, thus I was very worried. Today, I took my mother to get an injection, I also registered for the fourth shot to protect my health and prevent a strong outbreak."

Dr. Do Viet Hung, Deputy Director of Di An City Medical Center, said: “In recent weeks, people’s demand for Covid-19 vaccination at medical stations has increased. Previously, medical branch urged people to get injections, but many people were subjective and did not want to get injections. Since the emergence of new variants, the demand for vaccination has increased. The reason is that people are concerned about the appearance of new variants BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.12.1 of Omicron. To meet the vaccination demand of the people, medical stations of wards have mobilized all their staff, have been working until evening and even on Saturdays and Sundays.

In order to ensure the coverage of booster shots for people, especially those in high-risk groups, in recent days, 91/91 medical stations in communes, wards and townships in the province have organized, announced, instructed people to vaccinate against Covid-19 (people aged 18 and over have not received the third and fourth doses) to create community immunity. Huynh Minh Chin, Deputy Director of provincial Health Department, said: “In response to the new variants BA.4, BA.5, BA.2.12.1, the province determines that vaccination strategy is an effective solution in the current period.

Provincial medical branch asked medical units to collaborate with localities to sort out people subject to the vaccination in each locality (people aged 18 and over have not received the third and fourth doses). In particular, medical branch and other branches, agencies, mass organizations, residential groups, and Covid-19 community groups have propagated information and encouraged people to take the initiative to vaccinate, thus the rate of people getting vaccinated increased significantly".

To immediately get the third shot three months after having the second dose

Recently, Binh Duong Province has eyed new and complicated developments Covid-19, namely, the increasing number of infection cases, and possibly many new cases of BA.4, BA.5 variants.  In order to unify and accelerate the coverage rate of vaccines for target groups, the Ministry of Health adjusted and clarified how to define injections and injection time. Previously, in June, the Ministry of Health issued professional guidance on the injection of Covid-19 vaccines. However, many people still do not know the time interval between shots. Currently, the Ministry of Health has issued a guidance on the time of the booster shots of Covid-19 vaccine. Accordingly, people over 18 need to immediately receive the third dose three months after having the second dose, instead of at least three months as the previous direction. Compared with previous vaccination guidelines, the Ministry of Health changed the time of injection from "at least" to "immediately" after the previous injection and recovery from Covid-19.

Doctor Huynh Minh Chin added: “Currently how injection shots and injection time are determined and performed, as follows: For people over 18 years old, the third dose is immediately given three months after the second dose; the injection is given immediately to people recovering from the disease. The fourth shot is immediately given four months after the third dose; the injection is given immediately after three months following a Covid-19 infection. For the group aged 12-18, the injection is immediately given five months after the second shot, and those who have a Covid-19 infection need to be injected immediately after three months. Particularly for children from 5 to under 12 years old, in case a child has a Covid-19 infection, the vaccination should be immediately given three months after recovering from the disease.

Localities in the province have implemented a new directive on vaccination of the Ministry of Health. Nguyen Thi Hien, Vice Chairwoman of Thuan An City People's Committee, said: “The city has directed People's Committees of ten wards and communes in the area to intensify information and communication about the effects and effectiveness of vaccines; in which focus on communication and vaccination for target groups, especially children from 5 to under 12 years old, high-risk children, children living in areas with low vaccine coverage. In particular, the city requires localities to set up propagation teams coming to each residential area to encourage people to get injections." Meanwhile in Thu Dau Mot City, localities also publicize vaccination sites (address, person in charge, contact information) so that people know and proactively go for vaccination in time.

In the past few days, Provincial Health Department has worked and asked Department of Education and Training to direct the speed of vaccination for preschool children, pupils and students, especially giving priority to children from 5 to under 12 years old and children at high risk; quickly complete the third and fourth shots for education officials and workers according to the directive of Ministry of Health.

Reported by Kim Ha - Translated by Ngoc Huynh