Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh addresses the 16th meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

PM Chinh chaired the 16th meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hanoi on Saturday. He said vaccine is the most important weapon and called on the Ministry of Health to ensure adequate and timely COVID-19 vaccine supply according to the needs of localities.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is unpredictable and vaccination helps achieve immunity. In February 2022 I directed the Ministry of Health to assess herd immunity nationwide, but until now the Ministry has not been able to do it. The Ministry of Health cannot do it alone, it must direct the Departments of Health. If a Department of Health cannot do it alone, it must involve local Party committees, administrations, and people to get it done,” PM Chinh said. 

Acting Health Minister Dao Hong Lan said that Vietnam has so far recorded 10.7 million cases of COVID-19, of which 9.9 million have recovered and more than 43,000 died. As of Thursday, Vietnam had administered more than 247 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, becoming a country with the world’s highest number of vaccine doses used and vaccine coverage as recognized by the World Health Organization.