The Da Nang government has published its planning for COVID-19 vaccine rollout for children and young people aged 12 to 17 years as part of the continued expansion of Da Nang's COVID-19 vaccination rollout program.

Based on the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines from the Ministry of Health and the outbreak situation in Da Nang, COVID-19 jabs will be offered to about 45,400 teens aged between 15 - 17-years-old across the city in November, and more than 56,700 children aged 12 to 15 years adolescents aged 12-15 years will also get their first shots in November and December.

All young people aged 12 to 17 years in Da Nang, including foreigners and overseas Vietnamese who are staying in the city, are eligible for the booster dose based on the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. High priority will be given to vaccinating obese and overweight young people along with those with certain underlying medical conditions who are being cared for at the centres for social protection. Older will be prioritized to receive the vaccine first versus younger age groups.

Health and education department officials are working closely with schools across Da Nang to identify all eligible children and young people.

Doctor Nguyen Tien Hong, the Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health has confirmed that all young people aged 12 to 17 years in Da Nang will be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that is safe for them based on the Ministry of Health’s recommendations through the school immunisation programme, and they will have the same vaccine for both doses.

The vaccines will be offered to young people in Da Nang to protect them from catching COVID-19, reduce transmission in schools and help keep pupils in the classroom.

In addition, all those aged 18 or over who haven't received a jab yet will get their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to protect themselves, their friends and their family. Beneficiaries to mums-to-be at or after 13 weeks of pregnancy, those who postponed their vaccination and persons with underlying medical conditions.

The vaccination will be available at 16 vaccination locations across the city.

Under the regulations of the Ministry of Health, all vaccination sites will meet strict standards for storing and preserving the vaccines, be arranged to include designated areas for reception, waiting, clinical screening, vaccination rooms, post-injection monitoring rooms, and anaphylactic treatment rooms with one-way rule, be equipped with anaphylactic treatment boxes, and comply with epidemic prevention regulations.

All vaccination sites will do temperature checks on people before entry allowing space for social distancing and a 30-minute recovery time. Strictest health and safety measures, especially the 5K recommendations of the Ministry of Health, are being put in place at these venues.

Beneficiaries are required to undergo medical checks, and they are provided with medical advice and post-vaccination observation.

A resuscitation area is available in each location where vaccines are being given, and health workers are prepared to treat immediate allergic reactions after vaccination.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – translating by H.L