Hanoi approves plan on free COVID-19 vaccination for local residents

The Hanoi People's Committee on May 7 approved a plan on free COVID-19 vaccination for people aged 18 to 65 in the period of 2021-2022.

The plan sets out the target that 95% of the at-risk people in the capital city will be vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine.

Under the plan, Hanoi’s authorities will mobilize all forces for the vaccination, including city health clinics, medical training institutions to organize the immunization campaigns.

The municipal government will buy COVID-19 vaccine shots for its citizens with its own budget and other financial sources.

In addition, the Hanoi People's Committee will call on donation and supports from local and foreign organizations, or private funding sources.

The municipal Party Committee will request Hanoi's health sector to focus on planning, allocating budgets, mobilizing all legal resources to ensure COVID-19 vaccination for all local residents. Priority will be given to people at high risk.

City’s further missions on COVID-19 prevention

The above-mentioned universal vaccination in Hanoi is one of the four missions that the municipal Party Committee has come up with to deal with the serious evolution of COVID-19 pandemic situation in the capital city.

Hanoi, home to more than eight million people, has recorded 47 infections in the latest community transmission outbreak, mostly related to the outbreak at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh district.

Therefore, first and foremost, the municipal Party Committee asked local authorities to drastically strengthen communication on the disease through mobile units and local loudspeaker system.

Secondly, Hanoi police is commissioned to severely sanctioned those flouting regulations against COVID-19 and acts of illegal immigration. The Party committee has called for putting smugglers of illegal immigrants on trial as soon as possible and strictly enforce the ban on public gathering. Besides, the capital city will enhance coordination and information exchange with other localities on monitoring people who have completed quarantine period.

Thirdly, work on the pandemic prevention and control must be boost and sped up to ensure safety for the election of the 15th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the term 2021-2026 in all districts.

And finally, the city’s authorities will report the demand for vaccine and the municipal universal inoculation plan to central level.

Vietnam is currently aiming at mass COVID-19 vaccination for its nearly 100 million people. Its government on January 31 has requested the health ministry to purchase COVID-19 vaccines within the first quarter, using fund sourced from the national budget and other sources.