Ministry eyes Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11 years
Vietnam is exercising caution in consideration of COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 5-11 years, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long told local media.
A health worker collects specimens from a young child infected with coronavirus in the northern province of Bac Giang. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnam is exercising caution in consideration ofCOVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 5-11 years, Minister of Health NguyenThanh Long told local media.
The Ministryof Health has submitted a tentative inoculation plan to the Government awaitingapproval, however, Long stressed the World Health Organisation (WHO) has notissued official guidance for vaccinations for children aged 5-11 yearsyet.
“Therefore,the Ministry of Health works very carefully, scientifically and objectively onthe basis of reference to inoculation programmes of all countries,” he said,adding that the ministry was in close coordination with the WHO in thematter.
The ministeralso expressed concerns about public acceptance, so the Prime Minister hasordered the health ministry to conduct a survey regarding vaccinations foryoung children.
He admittedgetting the shots to this age group would be much more difficult compared toadults.
The otherissue is supply but the health ministry is already in talks with variousmanufacturers and suppliers, and is eyeing Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, the same one being offered to eligiblechildren ages 12 to 17 in the country.
“This is avery important issue. We can’t rush things, and we have to take concrete stepsto ensure maximum safety for children,” Long said.
To date,Vietnam has administered over 14 million COVID-19 vaccine shots for children inthe 12-17 age group, with first-dose coverage hitting 90 percent and second-dosecoverage reaching 68.5 percent.
Somecountries have commenced vaccinating young children against COVID-19, suchas the US, Canada, Brazil, many European countries, Australia, United ArabEmirates, Israel, Malaysia, (with paediatric doses of Pfizer/BioNTechvaccines); China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Argentina, Columbia, (using China’sSinovac and Sinopharm vaccines); and Cuba and Venezuela (with Cuba’s Sobenara 2vaccines)./.
Six-in-one vaccines aren't available and the shortage should last until next year, Ministry of Health's Preventive Medicine Department Head Tran Dac Phu said on August 4.
Pfizer, a US multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation, has pledged to provide Vietnam with 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12-18 in the fourth quarter to help with its vaccination rollout.
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WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Takeshi Kasai on January 11 said the World Health Organisation backs visions and viewpoints in the COVID-19 prevention and control programme set out by the Vietnamese Government to flexibly response to new variants.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh demanded COVID-19 vaccination be further sped up and disease prevention measures strengthened, in an official dispatch issued on January 11.
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Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
A health worker collects specimens from a young child infected with coronavirus in the northern province of Bac Giang. (Photo: VNA) 
