People get COVID-19 shots at a vaccination site in Thủ Đức city, HCM City, in August.  VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The Ministry of Health has called on HCM City, Hà Nội and the provinces of Bình Dương, Long An and Đồng Nai to ensure everyone aged 18 and above get the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine by September 15.

It also urged the localities to speed up the second shot for those who have got the first.  

HCM City, Long An and Bình Dương provinces have been allocated enough vaccines to immunise everyone above 18, it said.

HCM City has announced a roadmap for vaccination.     

It has 680,000 people who have not got even one shot, and it hopes to give them one by September 15.

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring vaccination especially of people aged 65 and above, those with underlying health conditions and frontline forces.

They have been instructed to ensure 200-250 people get vaccinated every day to meet the schedule. 

According to the city Department of Health, it needs more than 2.7 million of doses, including more than two million of AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, and Vero Cell vaccines, for the second shot.

In Bình Dương, the vaccination has been speeded up since September 2 after the province received more Vero Cell vaccines. Many vaccination sites have been operating until 10pm daily.

More than 1.134 million people have got vaccinated, with a small number getting both shots.

The ministry has allocated more than 2.066 million doses while the province has a population of nearly 2.6 million. To reach herd immunity, it needs to vaccinate more than two million people.  

To speed up vaccination, Đồng Nai Province has asked the ministry to provide another three million doses. The ministry has allocated nearly 1.8 million.

The province has more than 3.7 million people.   

It said it records 400 - 1,000 new cases every day, numbers lower only than HCM City and Bình Dương.

Tây Ninh Province also has vaccination plans for designated groups this month, with priority for villages, towns and communes at high risk like those with industrial parks and a large number of workers renting rooms and areas near international border gates.   

Moreover, people aged more than 65, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, and those with young children will get priority.  

Frontline forces, employees of transport companies, traders at traditional markets, supermarkets and shopping centres, and those working at industrial parks, economic zones, factories, and farms will also be vaccinated this month.

Tây Ninh has received 200,000 doses from HCM City. —VNS