Deputy Minister of Health Truong Quoc Cuong has recently signed a decision on allocation of AstraZeneca 811,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses shipped to Viet Nam via the COVAX Facility.

Under the decision, these doses will be delivered to Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) of 63 localities, police and military forces, the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), and the National Institute for Control of Vaccine and Bilogicals (NICVB).

Specifically, the North will be allocated 317,550 doses, the Central region with 68,700 doses, the Central Highlands Region with 49,000 doses, the South with 245,350 doses. 

The public security and military forces will receive 30,000 and 80,000 respectively. The EPI and the NICVB will get 20,000 doses and 600 doses, respectively. 

Last Tuesday, the Ministry of Health has urged all 63 cities and provinces to submit lists of priority groups for free COVID-19 vaccination prior to April 15 to get these groups vaccinated as vaccine expiry dates near..

Priority groups for free COVID-19 vaccination are as follows:

1. Front line workers: Health workers, members of committees for COVID-19 prevention and control, quarantine and contact-tracing staff, reporters, military and public security forces joining COVID-19 prevention and control work.

2. Vietnamese diplomats and their relatives, staff members of diplomatic corps and UN agencies in Viet Nam

3. Ccustoms and immigration officers

4. Essential service workers in such sectors like aviation, transport, tourism, electricity and water supply, etc

5. Teachers and those who work at education and training facilities, those who work at State agencies and have regular contact with various people

6. People with chronic illnesses

7. People aged above 65

8. Residents in pandemic-hit areas

9. Poor people, social policy beneficiaries

10. Those who will be sent abroad for learning and working./.