The Ministry of Health emphasized that Covid-19 vaccine is crucial tools in the pandemic response
According to the Ministry’s first scenario, the SARS-CoV-2 virus strain will continue to evolve, but thanks to the community immunity, the number of severe cases and deaths gradually decreases. Outbreaks are no longer as severe as before or new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus appear but are less severe.
The second scenario is the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that has the potential to reduce vaccine effectiveness or immunity, leading to an increase in severe symptomatic infections or deaths, especially in vulnerable groups.
In the above two scenarios, the Ministry of Health emphasized that Covid-19 vaccines are crucial tools in the pandemic response and protect people against severe disease and death. The high rate of vaccine coverage in all target groups, especially the vulnerable and high-risk groups, will pave the way for gradual ease of health and other social measures.
In addition, in the first scenario, the Ministry of Health proposed focusing on several activities such as researching the fourth dose vaccination for adults, the third injection for children from 5 years old to under 18 years old and for children from 3 years old to 5 years old. Immunization should be carried out soon in 2022.
With the second scenario, the Ministry of Health will closely coordinate with the World Health Organization (WHO) and vaccine manufacturers to update vaccines suitable for new variants, and promptly report to the Government for approval of the purchase of additional vaccinations for residents.
Moreover, the health sector will strengthen the monitoring of the entry of new variants at border gates and continue to monitor and detect disease cases in the community early with focus on monitoring hospitalized cases, intensive treatment and death. Above all, the sector will flexibly implement the principle of ‘prevention - detection - isolation - zoning - stamping out the epidemic’.
