Viet Nam boosts COVID-19 vaccination among children
VGP - A launching ceremony in response to the COVID-19 vaccination campaign entitled “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival and back to school safely" was kicked off on September 7 in the northern province of Vinh Phuc in a bid to raise vaccination coverage rate among children.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong at the launching ceremony, Vinh Phuc province, September 7, 2022
The event was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Health, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and local authorities of Vinh Phuc.
In her remarks, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong stressed that under the motto "vaccination to protect your own health and contribute to the protection of public health", it is neccesary for people, children, and students to be vaccinated on schedule and in full doses.
Nguyen took the occasion to highlight the significance of vaccination especially vulnerable people and students.
Children infected with COVID-19 would not develop symptoms as severely as adults, but they may experience permanent sequelae that could affect their physical development.
Many trials have shown that COVID-19 vaccinations for children are safe because the dose is only one-third that of adults. Vaccinating children reduces the risk of community transmission.
The ministry's statistics showed that as of September 6, the country had administered 257,534,367 COVID-19 vaccine doses, including over 14.8 million for children from five to below 12 years old.
The COVID-19 vaccination campaign for children aged 5 to below 12 began on April 14./.
