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Speaking at a virtual immunization training course this morning at Pasteur Institute in HCMC with the participation of 3,900 health care workers, Deputy Director of the city Department of Health Nguyen Huu Hung said that the city plans to administer Covid-19 vaccines to around 780,000 local children aged 12 to 17.
Children aged 16 and 17 are the top priority of vaccination in accordance with the previous guidance of the Ministry of Health based on their vaccine supply sources and local Covid-19 developments.
The country's largest city planned to give the children the first doses of the Ministry-approved vaccine in five days right after the Ministry of Health issued its guidance. However, presently, the Ministry has not announced the vaccine for children and screening. Therefore, while waiting for the Ministry’s guidance, the Department of Health in HCMC proposed to use Pfizer vaccine and a training course on vaccination in its proposal to the Pasteur Institute. Medical workers were trained how to inject children, examine children, and provide emergency treatment.
Dr. Hung said Cu Chi District and District 1 have been selected as pioneers tomorrow before the mass inoculation can be deployed citywide.
A representative from the Pasteur Institute said that medical workers were training for pre-inoculation screening, handling post-injection side effects, and responding to emergency circumstances. Additionally, volunteers will receive vaccine jabs first. There are eight Health Ministry-approved vaccines, of these the ministry is likely to select Pfizer and Moderna for children.
