A health official at HCM City’s District 4 Health Centre is vaccinated during the first phase of the national vaccination programme that began on March 8. — Photo hcdc.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City has received an additional 58,250 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine out of the 811,200 doses from the COVAX Facility for the second phase of the vaccination drive, according to the city's Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention.

People vaccinated in the second phase include health workers who were not vaccinated in the first phase, those who work in Tân Sơn Nhất Airport and have contact with passengers, and members of certain community groups.  

The centre has not published the exact vaccination schedule for the second phase.

Speaking at a meeting of the city Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control held on Monday (April 12), Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh, head of the city Department of Health, said the second phase will start after the city gets the additional 58,250 doses. The second phase is expected to end on May 15.

The city’s first phase ended on April 16, with 8,569 people vaccinated.

In the second phase, HCM City and Hà Nội have received the highest amount of doses in the country. Hà Nội will receive more than 53,000 doses.

More than 43,000 doses will be distributed to Hải Dương Province; 18,000-20,000 doses to Thanh Hóa and Nghệ An provinces; 245,350 doses to the southern region; and 49,000 doses to the Central Highlands region. 

The Ministry of Health will distribute 30,000 doses to the police and 80,000 doses to the military force.  

As of April 15, more than 63,750 health officials on the frontlines against the pandemic in 19 provinces and cities have been vaccinated in the first phase which started on March 8, using doses from the first batch of 117,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca that arrived in the country on February 24. — VNS