Health sector requested to enhance surveillance against COVID-19 variants

Addressing the 18th meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Chinh said though the COVID-19 pandemic has been basically brought under control, the situation is still “complicated, unstable and difficult to predict”.  

“The outbreak is not over yet following the mutation of the virus, therefore we must continue to strengthen our surveillance systems and enhance our treatment capacity,” said the PM, stressing vaccination is still a strategic solution.

According to the government leader, top priority must be given to protecting people’s life in combating the virus under the motto of ‘flexible adaptation’ in an effort to nip a new possible outbreak in the bud.

“There is no room for complacency,” said Chinh while asking the Ministry of Health to regularly analyze the situation and risk factors, develop scenarios and response plans, and respond to all possible situations.

He asked the Ministry of Health to timely allocate vaccines on local demand and accelerate vaccination to ensure the campaign is carried out in a safe and effective manner.

In addition, he reminded the health sector to strengthen grassroots-level health capacity to better receive and treat patients; ensure drug supplies, medical equipment and human resources in place for pandemic prevention and control; and step up research and production of vaccines and biological products.

At the same time, the government leader requested the health sector to strengthen the prevention and control of other endemic and emerging diseases such as dengue fever, hand-foot-mouth disease, adenovirus, and monkeypox.

At the meeting, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan briefed delegates on the development of COVID-19 in the world and in Vietnam in particular. She warned about the emergence of new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that can complicate the situation, and encouraged localities to maintain response measures, especially vaccination.

So far this year, about 260.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered nationwide.

However, the number of monthly injections is decreasing significantly, with 3 million doses given in September, less than a third of the figure recorded in August. The inoculation of the second dose for children aged 5-12 and of the third dose for children aged 12-18 remains at a snail’s pace.