Vietnam aims to treat Covid as common disease: health minister

Heath Minister Nguyen Thanh Long told a meeting with the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on Saturday that although the number of daily cases has been rising fast, the rate of hospitalization, severe cases and deaths have significantly dropped.

The health system remains in stable condition and has increased its capacity to resuscitate and treat severe cases.

Current vaccines are still effective in reducing severity, mortality and hospitalization even with the Omicron strain, Long said.

He stressed vaccination must be considered a top priority. However, the possibility of re-infection with the Omicron mutant is possible, so it is still necessary to comply with pandemic prevention measures.

Faced with the increasing number of infections, the ministry is working with relevant units to offer price stabilization of medical equipment.

The ministry will continue monitoring the pandemic situation and the evolution of virus strains toward considering Covid-19 a “common disease” at an appropriate time.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said Vietnam will move towards “normalizing” the Covid-19 pandemic and considering it an endemic disease.

Many countries around the world are taking steps toward living with Covid-19 and treating it as endemic.

Vietnam has given a total of 196 million Covid-19 vaccine shots to its population. Virtually all adults, people from 18, have received their first Covid-19 vaccine shots, while 98 percent have received their second. A total 99 percent of children aged 12-17 have received their first vaccine shots, and 94 percent their second.