Local administrators encourage parents to bring their children to medical facilities for vaccination ( Photo: SGGP)
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, HCMC has seen a substantial decline in the number of children receiving life-saving vaccines. Children missing out on basic childhood vaccines through routine health services will lead to the risk of children suffering from dangerous diseases that have been vaccinated, such as measles, mumps, polio, rubella, and hepatitis B; therefore, vaccination should be accelerated in the upcoming time to prevent children from suffering these dangerous above-mentioned illnesses.
The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) has just sent a document to public and non-public hospitals; Thu Duc City Medical Center and districts on vaccination of expanded immunization program in the city after the Covid-19 epidemic has been put under control.
According to the HCDC, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the expanded vaccination program in Ho Chi Minh City was interrupted, causing the vaccination rate to be lower than the target. Low vaccination rates will lead to the risk of dangerous vaccine-preventable diseases in children.
In order to ensure the vaccination coverage rate with the availability of these vaccines, the HCDC suggested that medical facilities need to increase the expanded vaccination activities in the new normal state in the first week of October 2021.
Local administration should increase information about the pandemic and the importance of routine vaccines encouraging parents to bring their children to medical facilities for vaccination. Information about the expanded vaccination schedule at the health stations including names of vaccines available in healthcare establishments, ages will be publicized in all medical facilities via loudspeaker, Zalo, messages.
In addition, for people’s safety following the regulations of Covid-19 prevention, parents will be instructed to book their child's vaccination appointment according to the prescribed time frame to prevent mass gathering.
