Over 24,000 high-risk residents in HCMC yet to be vaccinated

By Le Phuong December 23, 2021 | 12:21 am PT

Two elderly people have their blood pressure checked before getting the Covid-19 vaccine in HCMC's Go Vap District, August 14, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

HCMC has counted 24,420 people over 65, suffering underlying diseases, and yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Local health authorities are currently trying to reach these individuals to get them jabbed as soon as possible.

In case it is not convenient for them to move, vaccines and medical workers will be sent to their homes, according to the city’s Health Department.

The city has been running a campaign since Dec. 7 to review people that are most vulnerable to Covid-19, meaning those over 65 and have chronic diseases, for regular testing to timely treat them should they get infected.

By Wednesday, a list of more than 584,000 people in the high-risk group had been drawn up.

For a month now, Ho Chi Minh City has reported a high number of Covid-19 deaths, at around 60 per day on average.

Most victims are above 50, have underlying health conditions and have not been vaccinated.

So far, HCMC has administered more than 15 million doses, with almost seven million people having two shots and more than 140,000, three.