HCM City is reporting a rise in the number of children hospitalised for Covid-19 treatment while the local health department is urging better vaccination coverage to prepare for the new school year.
A 12-year-old student is given Covid-19 vaccine in HCM City
Speaking at a Tuesday meeting on Covid-19 prevention, the vice chairman of HCM City People's Committee, Duong Anh Duc, expressed worries over the rising infections, especially among children.
"I've just had a talk with the director of the HCM City Children's Hospital 2 who said that the number of patients hospitalised for Covid-19 treatment over the past two days has increased by 8-10 cases from none previously," he said. "This situation is quite alarming."
The official stressed that local authorities should set a target of getting 100 percent of parents to agree to Covid-19 vaccines for their children.
According to a report from the municipal Health Department, the number of children aged between 5-12 receiving the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine has reached 51.20 percent after a week since the vaccination campaign was carried out. Around 27 percent of this age group have received second vaccinations.
As the Ministry of Education and Training plans to start the new school year on August 22, Duc has asked local schools to report on the students who haven't received Covid-19 vaccination or haven't been fully vaccinated and persuade parents to complete their children’s vaccinations.
