A medical worker prepares a vaccine shot to inoculate a State employee in Hà Nội during a campaign launched on Tuesday by the Ministry of Health for the rollout of the third and fourth vaccine doses for state employees and workers. —VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — Districts in Hà Nội have stepped up communication work on vaccinations following the recent increase of COVID cases with the detection of Omicron subvariant BA.5.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health Vũ Cao Cường said between June 28 and July 4, the capital city reported 1,538 cases, up 36.5 per cent as compared with the previous week.

He explained that the rise was due to people’s negligence, along with limitations in the communication work.

Notably, some COVID-19 patients have been also infected with dengue fever, which is at its peak time in Việt Nam.

As of July 3, 99.9 per cent of the local population aged over 18 years old got at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccines, 96.5 per cent received the third dose, and 15.6 per cent were given with the second booster (fourth dose).

For children aged from five to 12, only 20.07 per cent have been administered with the first dose, Director of the municipal Department of Health Trần Thị Nhị Hà said, noting that the inoculation for children needs the consensus of their families as well as the drastic engagement of agencies and the public.

Addressing a meeting on July 6, Deputy Secretary of the city's Party Committee Nguyễn Văn Phong stressed the need to intensify the pandemic combat with the highest sense of responsibility, and speed up vaccination.

According to the Ministry of Health, a total of 913 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Việt Nam on Wednesday, bringing the national caseload to 10,751,227 since the pandemic broke out.

More than 234 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Việt Nam so far.

The Ministry of Health has asked for more drastic measures to curb the spread of dengue fever, given a high number of new cases recorded recently.

According to the ministry’s report, as of July 4, the whole country recorded about 92,000 cases of dengue fever, an increase of about 15,000 cases compared to 10 days earlier.

Also according to the report, there have been 36 deaths recorded due to dengue fever, an increase of six compared to the previous 10 days. — VNS