Da Nang’s health sector on Wednesday morning held a ceremony to launch the citywide COVID-19 booster vaccination campaign for its workers and their family members. Also present at the event were Mr Luong Nguyen Minh Triet, the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the Municipal People's Council, Mrs Ngo Thi Kim Yen, the Vice Chairwoman of the Municipal People's Committee along with representatives of local departments and agencies, plus leaders of healthcare facilities.

Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen delivers her remarks at the launching ceremony for the COVID-19 booster vaccination campaign. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

According to the Da Nang Department of Health, rates of first-, second booster and first dose coverage among young people aged 12 to 17, those aged 18 and over, and children aged 5 to 11, respectively, across the city are still lower than the city’s targets despite great efforts of authorities at local level and relevant agencies to boost immunization coverage among target groups over past time.

As of August 23, rates of first-, second booster and first dose coverage among young people aged 12 to 17, those aged 18 and over, and children aged 5 to 11 in the city had reached 29.87%, 44.02% and 55.01%, respectively. As a result, the city’s vaccination coverage rates are lower than the national figures. In addition, the city’s coverage with second boosters among healthcare staff is still lower than expected.

COVID-19 vacinations for healthcare staff and their relatives carrying out at the Da Nang Center for Disease Control on Wednesday morning. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

Doctor Tran Thanh Thuy, the Acting Director of the Municipal Department of Health remarked that vaccination is the safest and most effective way to protect against severe illness or death from COVID-19 and is powerful tool to control the pandemic. She highlighted the significance of getting a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine to be as protected as possible from the virus in the context of the appearance of the fast-spreading Omicron sub-variants like BA.4, BA.5, BA.2.75, BA.2.12.1 in the country.

Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen stated that the main cause of the city’s low vaccination coverage rate is subjective awareness of COVID-19 risk among local residents and ignorance of preventive measures by some people, including refusing vacinations.

Amid the complex and unpredictable developments of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, especially the resurgence of the pandemic in some countries, new COVID-19 numbers in Viet Nam have been fueled by new and contagious sub-variants of the coronavirus and the country could face very high risk of COVID-19 resurgence. Mrs Yen highlighted the importance of geting fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in a timely manner in ensuring the effectiveness for controlling the pandemic, and driving the city’s socio- economic recovery, as well as ensuring the safe and health of local residents during the pandemic.

Mrs Yen called on healthcare workers and their family members to roll up their sleeves to get booster shots in a timely manner. She highlighted the important role of these people in conveying the benefits of vaccinations to improve public acceptance and decrease vaccine hesitancy in confronting the disease in an attempt to encourage local residents to show their willingness to get their shots.

Vice Chairwoman Yen asked the health sector to continue its efforts to work with authorities at local level and relevant agencies to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in the city in a fast, timely and effective manner.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by H.L