As schools are closed due to COVID-19, students have no other choices but online learning. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has ordered authorities to seek vaccine sources and make students a priority group for vaccinations so they can return to school.

The PM made the statement at a conference with the education sector held online on Saturday.

He requested the Ministry of Education and Training to collaborate with the Ministry of Health to implement the COVID-19 vaccination programme for students.

They will have to access vaccine manufacturers, seek sources of vaccines suitable for people over 12, and work out a plan to prioritise vaccinating students according to their age groups.

Việt Nam should have vaccinated students return to school like in other countries, he said.

Leaders of many localities also suggested prioritising vaccinations for students.

According to Nguyễn Thị Quyên Thanh, vice chairwoman of Vĩnh Long Province’s People’s Committee, 91 per cent of teachers in the province have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 44 per cent have been fully inoculated.

The students haven’t been vaccinated so they have no other choice but studying online.

This form of learning was not effective, especially for more than 14,000 disadvantaged students, she noted.

She suggested priority should be given for students over 12 to be vaccinated so schools can reopen.

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Lịch, vice chairwoman of Gia Lai Province’s People’s Committee, said it was hard to keep students learning amid school closures in the province due to the socio-economic situation here.

She said she expected a vaccination programme for students so they could return to school and the traditional way of learning.

Vũ Đại Thắng, Secretary of the Quảng Bình provincial Party Committee said the pandemic was still developing in a complicated manner with many positive cases recorded in the past three days.

He suggested the ministry of education and training issue guidance so localities could be more flexible and the vaccination programme be made available at schools.

Việt Nam to date has received about 28 million doses from various sources, mostly AstraZeneca with 17 million doses, followed by five million doses of Moderna (US donation).

The country has administered about 19 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

HCM City, currently the hardest hit locality by COVID-19 in Việt Nam, has recently announced its plans to vaccinate people aged 12-18 from September if there is a suitable vaccine source. — VNS