Health workers check the body temperature and heart pressure of students as per pre-COVID-19 vaccine injection procedures in the northern province of Bắc Giang on November 12. Image for illustration. — VNA/VNS Photo Đồng Thuý

HÀ NỘI — The health department of the northern province of Bắc Giang on Sunday confirmed that one among four students from two high schools hospitalised due to serious anaphylactic shock after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination has died.

On Wednesday (November 24), 700 high school students at Sơn Động Boarding High School and Sơn Động High School No.2 received their vaccines.

Two with milder reactions were taken care of at Sơn Đông medical station in Bắc Giang, and were discharged on Saturday afternoon, according to Nguyễn Thị Thu Hương, deputy director of the provincial health department.

Two other students, both born in 2005, suffered from more serious reactions, including reports of dizziness, breathing difficulties, chest pain and nausea, and were transported to Bạch Mai Hospital in Hà Nội and both required life support (ECMO).

One did not survive after five days of treatment, while the other's condition has stabilised.

Bắc Giang Province started a COVID-19 inoculation drive for high school students on November 12, using Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.

Thu Hương said the province will continue with the vaccination efforts, as other incidents of reactions have been reported, with most being typical and mild.

Việt Nam has approved Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for use in children aged 12-17, but only Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines have been administered due to shortages.

As of Saturday, 32 localities out of 63 in the country – Hà Nội, Hà Nam, Ninh Bình, Bắc Giang, Bắc Ninh, Phú Thọ, Quảng Ninh, Lai Châu, Lạng Sơn, Cao Bằng, Lào Cai, Điện Biên, Đà Nẵng, Khánh Hòa, Ninh Thuận, HCM City, Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu, Đồng Nai, Tiền Giang, Long An, Lâm Đồng, Tây Ninh, Sóc Trăng, An Giang, Vĩnh Long, Đồng Tháp, Bình Dương, Bình Phước, Kiên Giang, Cà Mau, Bạc Liêu, and Hậu Giang – have started vaccinating children.

As many as 3.1 million doses have been injected for this age group, with 457,059 people having received second doses, meaning 29.5 per cent of the targeted population has been given at least one vaccine shot, according to the health ministry. — VNS