Students of the Khánh Yên Town Junior Secondary School in Lào Cai Province wear masks and wash hands before entering class after 50 teachers and students of the school discovered to have COVID-19 on April 8. — VNA/VNS Photo Quốc Khánh

HÀ NỘI — The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) has called for an intensified effort in COVID-19 vaccinations by provincial and municipal health sectors from now until June of this year.

In a letter addressed to provincial and municipal departments of health and centres for diseases control, NIHE has allocated 832,900 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with an expiry date between July 9 to 11, 2023.

The vaccine has been distributed to all 63 provinces and cities nationwide, and booster vaccinations are planned for individuals aged 18 years and above.

According to quick reports from localities, more than 266 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far, with 51.6 million people aged 18 years and older have received their third dose, a rate of 81 per cent.

However, the rate does not equal across the country, and many localities have lower rates, below 80 per cent. This has led to 300,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine left over (excluding 204,400 doses in the national stock).

In the first eight days this month, around 1,040 doses of vaccine were administered a day, leading to a high risk of not all doses being used.

To increase the coverage and effective use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the NIHE asked localities to strengthen the vaccination against COVID-19, especially booster doses for people aged 18 years and older.

The target is at least 80 per cent of the population to receive booster doses.

If any locality needs more AstraZeneca vaccines, it should send a letter to the NIHE for supplies.

Speaking at the conference on COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control organised by the Ministry of Health in Quy Nhơn City, Bình Định Province, last Friday, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Liên Hương emphasised that COVID-19 vaccine supply was based on the proposal of provinces and cities.

She suggested that localities propose the exact vaccines they need.

Provinces and cities administering the COVID-19 vaccine for children from 12 to under 18 years old and children from five to under 12 years old should strive to achieve their targeted rate.

In the past week, Việt Nam recorded more than 2,600 new COVID-19 cases, an average of nearly 400 new cases per day.

For more than three and a half months, Việt Nam has not recorded any fatalities related to COVID-19.

Facing the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, Professor Phan Trọng Lân, director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine, said that the number of COVID-19 cases might continue to increase.

But Việt Nam is now at pandemic level one, which is low risk. This level is assessed based on not only the number of cases but also the severe cases and vaccine coverage.

Lân said that scientists and the World Health Organisation forecasted that the SARS-CoV-2 virus still existed.

The next phase's goal is to reduce hospitalisations and deaths, avoid hospital overload and maintain pandemic prevention and control.

Therefore, one of the main tasks is to protect the elderly with underlying diseases and pregnant women. Those people should strictly follow preventive measures and receive enough vaccines as the Ministry of Health recommends. — VNS