A COVID-19 vaccination site for local residents at Trinh Hoai Duc gymnasium (Dong Da, Hanoi). Photo: DANG ANH
In response to the increasingly tense developments of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Prime Minister has requested an acceleration of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, particularly in localities serving as hotspots. Localities are currently striving to adjust procedures to expedite progress, while the Ministry of Health has provided guidance for localities to expand target groups and minimize contraindications. The requirements and guidelines are fully established. Now is the time to accelerate in order to achieve the expected coverage at the fastest possible pace.
The Ministry of Health and the National Expanded Programme on Immunization have issued an official dispatch to the General Department of Logistics of the Ministry of National Defence and regional military commands regarding support for transporting vaccines to the provinces. Accordingly, as soon as vaccines receive certification of eligibility for use from the National Institute of Vaccine and Medical Biologicals, they will be dispatched from the national warehouse to the provinces using specialized refrigerated trucks handed over to the military commands.
To prepare for this, the National Expanded Programme on Immunization has provided training and supported the military commands to meet standards for properly preserving vaccine warehouses and calibrating refrigerated truck systems. With the participation of the military forces, vaccine transportation will be significantly shortened.
Previously, it took up to two weeks to distribute that volume of vaccines, but now it may take only two days to complete. This arrangement remains suitable even in cases of sudden, massive vaccine arrivals, as the military's response capacity still ensures supply delivery down to individual provinces. In more urgent situations, refrigerated trucks can assist provinces in delivering vaccines directly to district levels to minimize delays caused by waiting for vaccine transit.
On August 3, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health) convened a professional council meeting to adjust the pre-vaccination screening guidelines for the third time. Vaccination eligibility criteria have been significantly relaxed, bringing them closer to the recommendations issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This step-by-step relaxation of vaccination criteria is necessary because COVID-19 vaccines were approved under emergency mechanisms and require more cautious verification prior to mass immunization, unlike vaccines with a long history of development.
Specifically, this includes expanding target groups eligible for vaccination at commune and ward health stations and off-site vaccination points, such as individuals with underlying medical conditions that are not in an acute phase; and reducing the categories of people who should temporarily postpone vaccination or exercise caution, such as those with a history of allergies. This adjustment is essential during the current tense epidemic period. Furthermore, it reflects the enhanced post-vaccination management capacity of healthcare personnel developed over recent times, enabling them to respond effectively to potential adverse events following immunization.
During the initial implementation of the vaccination rollout, the health sector was quite conservative regarding vaccination for the elderly, as this demographic group presents numerous underlying conditions, including acute illnesses and various risk factors. However, with the current updates to vaccination recommendations, many elderly individuals have received COVID-19 vaccines to establish a protective barrier for themselves. This is particularly crucial in localities with outbreaks, where individuals with underlying conditions and the elderly are the most severely affected populations if infected with COVID-19.
Currently, the Ministry of Health encourages localities to creatively utilize all resources to establish safe and effective vaccination plans. Utilizing multi-purpose gymnasiums equipped with added ventilation and partitions based on the field hospital model represents a positive initiative successfully implemented in Hanoi. Through this approach, vaccine recipients move in a one-way flow, minimizing crowding while maintaining the speed of vaccination deployment.
At the same time, it is only necessary to prepare a single emergency response unit serving multiple vaccination lines rather than requiring multiple emergency teams to support commune and ward units, especially given that ward health stations in Hanoi or major cities have very limited floor space. Conversely, in suburban areas, commune health stations are typically more spacious and facilitate the implementation of vaccination campaigns.
In such cases, vaccination at health stations is more effective and can leverage the existing infrastructure of the expanded immunization system. Under this approach, millions of vaccine doses can be administered daily, provided that emergency units are deployed in commune clusters to readily provide support when needed.
To accelerate the progress of COVID-19 vaccination for the public moving forward, the Ministry of Health has mobilized and will continue to mobilize the participation of private healthcare facilities, military hospitals, and even mobile vaccination points. The ministry has deployed a set of criteria for safe vaccination facilities to help standardize vaccination units more thoroughly and reliably.
Simultaneously, this standardization serves as a prerequisite to help medical facilities enhance their response capacity should they face potential epidemic risks, ensuring they are fully equipped to support the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Over the past period, training and certification regarding vaccination safety, as well as enhanced monitoring and support from national and regional immunization offices, have been intensified. Within just three months, thousands of healthcare personnel have had their vaccination knowledge standardized and are fully prepared to participate in vaccination lines.
In addition to preparations regarding infrastructure and human resources, communication and dissemination of knowledge concerning vaccines and immunization are also being prioritized. This provides highly useful information to the public, ranging from pre-vaccination preparation, guidance on submitting personal information via software, preparing personal documents, and health preparation prior to vaccination, to monitoring post-vaccination reactions.
The Ministry of Health has recently adjusted Decision 3600/BYT-QĐ on the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines to provide additional allocations to Ho Chi Minh City (an increase of 319 thousand doses) and Hanoi (an increase of 284 thousand doses). Consequently, across the three most recent vaccine allocation rounds (rounds 16, 17, and 18), Ho Chi Minh City has been allocated 1,148,500 doses and Hanoi has been allocated 868,880 doses. Additionally, central institutes, hospitals, and units located in these two cities were allocated 40,000 and 74,500 doses respectively during these rounds to vaccinate local residents. To date, Ho Chi Minh City remains the locality with the largest allocation at 4,075,270 doses (reaching a vaccine allocation rate of 29% relative to the population aged 18 and older); Hanoi has been allocated 2,943,770 doses (reaching an allocation rate of 26% relative to the population aged 18 and older).
Pham Quang Thai and Trung Hieu
Source: https://nhandan.vn/tin-tuc-y-te/day-nhanh-tien-do-tiem-vac-xin-phong-covid-19-658367/?fbclid=IwAR3zigWztVL9jWSk3xbqPWXkg-zKNDoXNn2xHxdlSdIUwlNF9m31R0yr3L0