A primary school student in the northern city of Bắc Giang received a COVID-19 vaccine shot. — VNA/VNS Photo Danh Lam

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has just sent a document to the People's Committees of provinces and cities asking them to calculate the number of children from six months old to under five years old in order to prepare a plan on COVID-19 vaccinations for them when there is an established scientific basis.

In its document, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Liên Hương stressed that this was an important and urgent mission and urged local authorities to give it proper attention.

According to the ministry, the country has so far administered over 259 million doses of vaccines against COVID-19 for those aged five and above.

Nearly 100 per cent of the population aged 12 and above have received the primary course of vaccination (two doses).

First dose and second dose coverage in children aged five to under 12 reaches 88 and 60 per cent, respectively.

Localities were asked to propose the need for vaccines for each age group of children from six months old to under one year old, those from one to under two, from two to under three, from three to under four, and from four to under five and send them to the Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the Pasteur Institute before September 30.

The information should then be sent to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology before October 10, and then the Ministry of Health by October 15. — VNS