Children aged 5-12 years in Mường Tè District, the northern mountainous province of Lai Châu, get COVID-19 vaccine shots. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhật Anh

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has issued a dispatch ordering intensifying COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

In the dispatch, the PM underlined that while the situation in Việt Nam is still under control, the complicated developments of the pandemic around the world and the rising number of infections in Việt Nam should be taken into account, adding that the pace of COVID-19 vaccination among particular groups has been slow, especially second shots for children from 5 to under 12 and booster shots for those over 18.

In order to sustainably maintain the outcomes of the COVID-19 fight and create favourable conditions for socio-economic recovery and development, the Government leader requested the steering committees for COVID-19 prevention and control, and people’s committees of centrally-run cities and provinces as well as ministries, ministry-level agencies and Government agencies to focus on accelerating COVID-19 vaccination, in order to complete the injection of vaccines to people in different groups following the Ministry of Health’s guidance as soon as possible.

Particularly, it is necessary to organise mobile vaccination stations to finish the administration of the second dose to children from 5-12 years old, and the third and fourth doses for adults as scheduled, the PM said.

He also directed the Ministry of Health to supervise the vaccination in localities and report to the PM localities with weak performance for timely settlement.

Regarding the response to new SARS-CoV-2 variants, the ministry was asked to keep a close eye on the developments of the pandemic in the world and strengthen the exchange of information and experience with other countries and international experts, while collecting ideas from experts to give assessments and forecast on pandemic developments, evaluating herd immunity and providing advice to the Government on response measures.

Any agency or locality that fails to promptly control outbreaks and lets them spread on a larger scale must be held accountable to the Party, State and People, the dispatch noted.

The ministry should provide updated information on the pandemic to the public, along with prevention and control measures in an active and timely manner.

Leaders of localities were requested to update pandemic scenarios and prepare forces and equipment to stand ready for any circumstance.

Meanwhile, media agencies were directed to continue strengthening communication activities to encourage the community to strictly carry out regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control and receive vaccinations. — VNS