Mekong Delta needs to up COVID vaccination rate to prevent possible outbreaks

Mekong Delta needs to up COVID vaccination rate to prevent possible outbreaks

MEKONG DELTA — The COVID- 一 九 vaccination rate for people aged  一 八 and above in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta is less than  三0 per cent.

The region has  一 二 provinces and a city with a total population of around  二0 million, or nearly a fifth of the country's population.

The main cause for the low vaccination rate is a shortage of vaccines, a global problem so far.

The region expected to be allotted nearly  二 二 million doses based on Ministry of Health announcements, but has only received  六. 六 million doses.

Of them, more than  二. 六 million doses went to COVID hotspot Long An Province.

Long An has vaccinated  一. 五 million people, or  九 八 per cent of its adult population, with  四 一 per cent being fully vaccinated. 

It is followed by Tiền Giang and Bến Tre with  五0 per cent and  三 九. 四 per cent, but only  一0 per cent in the two places are fully vaccinated.

Cà Mau has the lowest vaccination rate at  一 三. 九 per cent.

The rate of adults receiving the second dose of vaccine is very low at under  一0 per cent in Bạc Liêu, Đồng Tháp and Vĩnh Long.

In Cần Thơ city, an economic hub, the rate is only  七. 七 per cent.

The city received  四 二0,000 doses and has vaccinated  二 四. 八 per cent of its population.

Much of the delta has received thousands of people returning to their hometowns by motorbike from COVID-hit localities like HCM City.

But the lack of pandemic prevention measures by local authorities means the returnees pose a high risk of spreading the disease.

They are also putting great pressure on local medical and quarantine facilities, and authorities are using schools for quarantine.

Dozens of COVID-positive cases have been detected among them so far.

Dương Tấn Hiển, deputy chairman of the Cần Thơ People’s Co妹妹ittee, said  五00,000 doses have been allotted, but the city needs another one million to achieve the  九 五 per cent vaccination rate ordered by the prime minister.

Vaccination will be prioritised for workers at industrial parks, production facilities, trading, service establishments, and small household businesses, teachers and students.

Many factories are set to resume operations.

“If vaccines are not enough for workers, it will be very difficult to resume safe production,” Hiển said.

The city hopes to give  八0 per cent of people aged  五0 and above at least one dose by the end of this month.

Đoàn Tấn Bửu, deputy chairman of the Đồng Tháp Province People’s Co妹妹ittee, said the ministry should consider giving more vaccines to his province to i妹妹unise returnees. — VNS