Medical workers collect samples for Covid-19 testing. Workers at industrial zones nationwide will be added to a list of priority groups for receiving Covid-19 vaccines – PHOTO: VNA
HCMC – As the daily spike in Covid-19 cases at industrial zones in northern Vietnam shows no signs of letting up, factory employees at these industrial zones nationwide will be added to a list of priority groups for receiving Covid-19 vaccinations, according to the prime minister’s order.
In an announcement released on May 25 by the Government Office on the directives of the prime minister on Covid-19 vaccination, the prime minister demanded that the Ministry of Health work out a swift and effective Covid-19 vaccination plan.
Also, the ministry has to review and add people that need to be prioritized to get a Covid-19 vaccine shot in line with the reality, especially those working in large-scale manufacturing and service facilities, reported the local media.
The head of the Government said that more measures must be taken quickly to ensure an adequate amount of vaccine in the shortest possible time to inoculate local residents on a large scale. The Health Ministry has to comprehensively take responsibility for purchasing vaccine and facilitating negotiations to gain access to vaccine from various sources as soon as and as much as possible.
Besides this, the ministries of Health and Finance were urged to establish a Covid-19 vaccine fund to call on donations from individuals and organizations. The Finance Ministry has to issue guidelines on regular savings for the 2021-2022 fiscal year in order to have additional cash to buy vaccine.
According to the Government’s resolution in February, workers were excluded from a list of priority groups for vaccination, but this changed following the complicated coronavirus situation currently facing Bac Giang and Bac Ninh, and Hai Duong’s indication that workers are among the most vulnerable groups. On May 25, Bac Giang alone reported 444 locally-infected cases, mainly among workers at industrial zones.
