If the plan is approved by the Municipal People’s Committee, people with chronic diseases, the elderly, obese people, and frontline workers will receive the booster jab from November to December this year.

The city also targets to complete vaccination for all children aged 18 and older within the next two months and start offering vaccines to children aged between 12 and 17, Nguyen added.

Studies show that COVID-19 antibodies decrease six months after second shots have been administered and vaccine efficacy against the Delta variant becomes lower over time.

The World Health Organization earlier this month recommended that immunocompromised people should be given third dose of COVID-19 vaccine, due to their higher risk of breakthrough infections after standard immunization.

Ho Chi Minh City, the epicenter of Viet Nam’s fourth wave of COVID-19 resurgence has fully vaccinated almost 80 percent of its adult population. As of last Saturday, 7.3 million people in HCMC have got at least one dose and 5.7 million have been fully vaccinated.

The Southern metropolis was the first locality in the country to offer vaccines children aged 12-17, starting from October 27 in Cu Chi District and District 1.

The teenage vaccination campaign has now been expanded to all 22 districts and Thu Duc city for the eligible population, with 31, 352,001 youngsters having been partially vaccinated as of October 31.

In early 2022, the city will vaccinate kids aged over three years./.