HCM City is giving fourth Covid-19 shots to people aged from 50 years, those with immunodeficiency or belonging to a group at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 such as healthcare workers, frontline workers, and people working in industrial parks.
At Le Van Thinh Hospital, besides people waiting for fourth doses, many children were also having vaccinations.
A local woman, Tran Thi Hoa, said that she was surprised to see the large number of people coming for Covid-19 vaccinations. "I took my seven-year-old son here to get the first dose," she said. "I heard about the city's new programme to give fourth doses but I didn't imagine it would be crowded like this."
Director of Le Van Thinh Hospital, Tran Van Khanh, said that the vaccine's effects lessen with time while new variants keep appearing so it was necessary to have a booster to protect people from Coronavirus.
“We've called for all people in the priority group to come for the fourth dose first," he said. "Those who can’t come due to weak health, we’ll send staff to come to their houses to give the shots."
According to deputy director of HCM City Department of Health, Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, the number of Covid-19 infections has sharply decreased in the city with just between 30-50 cases confirmed daily. There are now just 200 Covid-19 patients being treated at local hospitals.
“Although the number of infections have fallen, the virus still exists in the community," the doctor said. "There are always threats of new outbreaks so vaccination is still very important."
The same morning, director of HCM City Health Department, Tang Chi Thuong, and some health workers came to encourage the elderly and people with diseases in Binh Thanh District to have fourth Covid-19 vaccine shots.