Over 1.6 million HCMC residents need second Covid vaccine shots

As of October 15, HCMC had administered over 12.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines - over 7.1 million first doses and 5.4 million second doses.

If the due date for the second shot has been reached, both permanent and temporary residents can go directly to vaccination sites and register to get them, health authorities said.

Currently, the interval between two injections is at least six weeks for the AstraZeneca vaccine, three weeks for Pfizer and Vero Cell, and four weeks for Moderna.

According to the city’s Center for Disease Control, the current stock of vaccines is enough for people to receive their second dose. In order to quickly return to the new normal period, the city needs to speed up vaccinations to ensure all residents get enough two doses to resume work and daily activities.

Though the city reopened most economic activities early October, many residents have been unable to resume work because they are yet to get their second Covid shots.

The city plans to vaccinate around 780,000 children aged 12-17 years in five days starting October 22. Two doses of the same vaccine will have to be used in the vaccination program for which parents or other legal guardians must sign their consent.

The Ministry of Health had earlier approved administration of Covid-19 vaccines for the 12-17 age group, with priority given to 16 and 17 year old teens.

However, the type of vaccine used for vaccination this age group has not yet been announced. So far, only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this particular age range.

HCMC has recorded over 416,000 infections during the fourth coronavirus wave from late April.

Its high vaccination rate and a strategic shift from a zero-virus strategy to living with the pandemic have enabled the city to lift most restrictions from early this month.