HANOI, Jan 15 (Vietnam News/ANN): Vietnam is cautious about Covid-19 vaccinations for children aged 5 to 11, Health Minister Nguyễn Thanh Long has told media local.
The Ministry of Health has submitted a draft inoculation plan to the government pending approval, however, Long pointed out, the World Health Organization (WHO) has yet to issue official guidelines for the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years.
“Therefore, the Ministry of Health works very carefully, scientifically and objectively based on references to the vaccination programs of all countries,” he said, adding that the ministry was in close coordination with the WHO. in the matter.
The Minister of Health also expressed concerns about public acceptance, so the Prime Minister ordered the Ministry of Health to carry out an investigation into the vaccination of young children.
He admitted that getting this age group vaccinated would be much more difficult compared to adults.
The other issue is supply, but the Department of Health is already in talks with various manufacturers and suppliers, and is considering the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11, with the same being offered to eligible children between the ages of 12 and 17 in the country.
“This is a very important question. We cannot rush things and we must take concrete steps to ensure maximum safety for children,” Long said.
To date, Việetnam has administered more than 14 million Covid-19 vaccines to children aged 12-17, with first-dose coverage reaching 90% and second-dose coverage reaching 68.5%. .
Some countries have started vaccinating young children against Covid-19, such as the United States, Canada, Brazil, many European countries, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Malaysia (with pediatric doses Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines); China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Argentina, Colombia (using Chinese vaccines Sinovac and Sinopharm); and Cuba and Venezuela (with Cuban Sobenara 2 vaccines). – Vietnam News/ANN
