Covid-19 vaccine provided by COVAX must be injected before mid-May
The Saigon Times
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The first Covid-19 vaccine shipment provided by COVAX Facility arrived in Vietnam early this month. The vaccine must be injected before May 15 – PHOTO: VNA |
HCMC – The Covid-19 vaccine shipment that was provided by COVAX Facility and arrived in Vietnam on April 1 will expire two months after it arrived in the country, so the vaccination must be completed before May 15, half a month before the vaccine is out of date.
At an online meeting with localities on the Covid-19 prevention and control on April 16, a representative of the Ministry of Health said Covid-19 vaccines have a shelf life of only six months, the local media reported.
Therefore, the vaccination has been accelerated so as not to waste the vaccine. Specifically, the Ministry of Health ordered the completion of the first phase this month. At present, residents have been injected with more than half of the doses.
The second phase has just kicked off. However, the vaccination remains slow as localities were cautious to ensure the safety of those receiving the vaccine.
According to the Medical Service Administration under the Ministry of Health, Vietnam has reported no cases of blood clots after being injected with the vaccine.
The supply of Covid-19 vaccines is insufficient all over the world, so the transport of vaccines to Vietnam was slower than expected and the volume of doses was smaller as well. As planned, two more batches of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine will arrive in Vietnam this month and next.
Dang Quang Tan, head of the Vietnam General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health, said the world has an additional 600,000-700,000 new Covid-19 cases and 1,000-2,000 fatalities a day. The pandemic shows signs of emerging complicated again.
Therefore, the country should closely control border gate areas to prevent illegal entry.