Hà Nội accelerates COVID-19 vaccine rollout for at-risk people as caseload remains high

A 85-year-old woman in Tây Mỗ ward, Hà Nội, received COVID-19 vaccine during 2022 Tết holiday. — VNA/VnExpress News Photo Hoàng Hiếu

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội authorities are urging all districts to collect records of people at high risk of contracting COVID-19 and give them vaccine booster shots as soon as possible.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Ngọc Anh issued the plea as the capital city continues to record a little under 3,000 infections a day, the highest in the country.

Local administrations have been asked to continue encouraging high-risk and vaccine-hesitant people to get double vaccinated and ramp up at-home inoculations for people who are aged above 50 with underlying health conditions, or at a high risk of severe illness from COVID-19, especially those who have not been inoculated, partially vaccinated, or refused vaccination before, the notice said.

The move aims to accelerate the city’s COVID-19 vaccination for vulnerable people and reduce hospitalisation and death rates.

Chairman Anh also ordered the local administrations to hasten the injection of additional and booster shots for high-risk people and those living with these people as part of the “spring vaccination drive” from January 29 to February 28.

Việt Nam is on course to complete the inoculation of additional and booster doses in the first quarter of this year.

Chairmen of the district-level People’s Committees must be held accountable if any high-risk citizen misses out on COVID-19 vaccination, the notice said.

More than 99.5 per cent of the people aged over 12 in Hà Nội have been double vaccinated and nearly 55 per cent have received boosters. A majority of the COVID-19 cases recorded during the surge are mild or show no symptoms while most of the deaths are senior citizens with severe underlying medical conditions, such as high blood pressure.

To date, there are about 84,000 active COVID-19 cases in Hà Nội, with 91 per cent of the figure being treated at home. — VnExpress News