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Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long had a meeting with US Ambassador Marc Knapper in Hanoi on March 29. |
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Speaking at the meeting, Minister Nguyen Thanh Long emphasised that the health cooperation relationship between the two countries is a good tradition and thanked the US Government and people for supporting Vietnam in the COVID-19 prevention and control in recent time. Minister Nguyen Thanh Long also suggested the US side continue to pay attention to supporting traditional health cooperation activities that have been implemented for a long time, such as the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Global Fund, as well as activities to support and strengthen healthcare capacity. He also suggested that the two sides continue to promote cooperation between Vietnamese institutes, schools and hospitals and US institutes, schools and hospitals in the field of health and continue to support COVID-19 prevention and control, while at the same time calling for US investment in the medical field, including in the production of pharmaceutical materials, drugs and medical equipment, including those for use in medical examination and treatment activities. In particular, the Ministry of Health will create conditions for licensing, inspection and assessment of the quality of the field of pharmaceuticals, equipment for investors. At the meeting, the Vietnamese Minister of Health and the US Ambassador discussed the support of COVID-19 vaccines for children between 5 and 12 years old in Vietnam. Regarding vaccination, the National Expanded Immunisation Programme states: Immunising children against Covid-19 is of great significance, including protecting children’s health in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic still spreading strongly; helping children to go to school safely and participate in social activities; and at the same time increasing vaccine coverage in the community, reducing the spread to surrounding people, and contributing to the flexible and effective control of the COVID-19 epidemic. To date, dozens of countries around the world have deployed Covid-19 vaccine for 5 to 12-year-old children. After the Australian Government aided Vietnam with about 13.7 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children between 5 and 12 years of age, the Ministry of Health is actively coordinating with the Australian Ambassador to Vietnam to bring the vaccines to Vietnam as quickly as possible. It is expected that these vaccines will be delivered to localities to organise vaccination for children within April. Vaccination not only protects children, but also reduces the risk of infection. Notably, through follow-up with the Omicron strain, infection occurred more frequently among unvaccinated children. Source: Nhan Dan Online |
