(VOVWORLD) - The Ministry of Health on Wednesday issued a decision on the allocation of 811,200 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to all 63 cities and provinces, and other agencies.
They are the first vaccine doses supplied by the COVAX Facility through UNICEF, which arrived in Hanoi on April 1.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will receive the highest numbers, with 53,350 doses for the capital city, and 56,250 doses for the southern largest economic hub.
Meanwhile, the northern province of Hai Duong which has recently borne the brunt of the third wave of COVID-19 outbreaks will get 43,700 doses.
The inoculation must be completed before May 15, 2021, the ministry said.
Vietnam's mass vaccination campaign began March 8 after a batch of 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine was delivered in February. Nearly 54,000 Vietnamese citizens, mainly front-line workers in the COVID-19 fight, have received their first vaccine shots.
The Ministry of Health has requested the Department of Health of 63 provinces and cities to urgently make a list of 10 priority groups to receive free COVID-19 vaccine.
People in priority list can be front-line medical staff, Vietnamese diplomatic staff and officials and their relatives sent for term work abroad, staff directly involved in welcoming Government delegations and welcoming Vietnamese from abroad, diplomatic corps and UN organizations in Vietnam, customs and immigration officers, people with chronic diseases, people over 65 years old, people living in epidemic areas, the poor, and social policy beneficiaries.