Plan 2427/KH-BCD Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Ho Chi Minh City for vaccination

PLAN

For the 5^th phase of vaccination against COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City

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Pursuant to:

The Government’s Resolution No. 21/NQ-CP dated February 26, 2021 on the purchase and use of vaccines against COVID-19;

The Decision No. 3355/QD-BYT dated July 8, 2021 of the Ministry of Health on the promulgation of the Plan to implement the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the year 2021 - 2022;

The Decisions of the Ministry of Health on the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines for the 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, 10^th and 11^th phases;

In order to increase the effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention and control, the Municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control hereby issues the plan for the 5^th phase of COVID-19 vaccination in Ho Chi Minh City as follows:

I. OBJECTIVES:

- Organizing a safe vaccination campaign, strictly complying with the requirements specified in the Official Dispatch No. 2279/UBND-VX dated July 8, 2021 of the Municipal People's Committee on the application of measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with the Directive No. 16/CT-TTg dated March 31, 2020 of the Prime Minister; ensuring quality vaccination for people of priority and free of charge group in accordance with the regulations and guidelines of the Ministry of Health; and focusing on groups at high risk of COVID-19 infection.

- Aiming to apply vaccination to above 95% of people of priority group under the Plan for vaccination against COVID-19.

II. SUBJECTS, TIME AND FORMS OF APPLICATION

1. Pursuant to the regulations on groups of people prioritized for free of charge vaccination by the Government and the Ministry of Health, in accordance with professional guidance of the Ministry of Health, on the basis of the number of vaccines allocated and on the basis of assessment of pandemic risk in the City, vaccines shall be allocated to people over 18 years of age of the following groups:

1.1. Patients with underlying medical conditions who have been treated stably and have a permanent address in the City, priority shall be given to people with multiple underlying medical conditions or people with serious disease (according to the list of medical facilities currently managing outpatient treatment) belonging to the following disease groups:

- Chronic kidney disease;

- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;

- Hypertension;

- Diabetes mellitus;

- Obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

1.2. People over 65 years of age (according to the order of priority being over 80 years old, from 70 to 80 years old, over 65 years old respectively).

1.3. Persons who are granted policies, who have meritorious services and who are subject to social protection; people from poor and near-poor households; vulnerable people.

1.4. People working in health facilities, the health sector (both public and private ones).

1.5. People participating in pandemic prevention and control (Members of the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control at all levels, people working in isolation areas, people on duty of tracing, epidemiological investigation, people of community-based Covid teams, volunteers, reporter, etc.).

1.6. Army Forces of Ho Chi Minh City.

1.7. Public Security forces of Ho Chi Minh City.

1.8. Vietnamese employees, diplomats and their relatives who are sent abroad; people working in diplomatic agencies, consular offices, international organizations operating in Vietnam.

1.9. Essential service providers: aviation; long-distance transportation, food transportation; electricity and water services.

1.10. People who are employees working at enterprises (including enterprises in industrial parks, export processing zones, credit, tourism, market stabilizing enterprises, essential goods supply and distribution enterprises, logistics enterprises, trade promotion enterprises, industrial enterprises, electronics, gasoline, oil, chemicals, or gas enterprises, supermarkets, convenience stores, delivery people, foreign and FDI representative offices, essential service businesses such as accommodation, catering, banking, health care, pharmacy, medical supplies, etc.; retailers, wholesale establishments, markets, construction sites, etc.

1.11. Teachers (including teachers of vocational education), people who work at educational and training institutions; people who work at administrative agencies and units; socio-political organizations often exposed to many people.

1.12. People who are sent to work, study or work abroad by competent state agencies or who have wish to travel abroad for work, study or work; foreign experts working in Vietnam.

1.13. Customs officers, immigration officers.

1.14. Religious dignitaries and positions.

1.15. Other subjects in accordance with the Decision of the Chairman of the Municipal People's Committee and the Ministry of Health:

- Relatives of people working at medical facilities and health sectors being in the frontline of the fight against the pandemic.

- Supporting units for the City's pandemic prevention and control (through the Municipal Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee).

■ People subject to vaccination in the 5^th phase shall include those receiving the 1st dose and the 2^nd dose (if eligible).

2. Implementation time: the vaccination campaign shall start from July 21, 2021, last for 2 - 3 weeks and can be extended depending on the actual situation to ensure the pandemic prevention measures and not affect the concentration of resources for the City's anti-pandemic work.

3. Using the vaccines allocated to the City, in accordance with the professional guidance of the Ministry of Health on the designation of the subjects to be inoculated, the interval time between the two doses and the conditions and duration of vaccine preservation:

- For Astra Zeneca vaccine: 1^st injection for priority subjects of the 5^th phase; 2^nd injection for people who have had the first injection from 8-12 weeks;

- Modema vaccine;

- Pfizer vaccine.

III. IMPLEMENTATION

1. Making lists of vaccination subjects

- Agencies, units and organizations whose headquarters are based in the City who belong to the above-stated priority groups for vaccination against COVID-19 shall actively make a registration list of vaccination for their employees (those with social insurance premiums) or for people under their information management scope in accordance with their functions and tasks.

- The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, departments, agencies, central agencies, offices of ministries located in the City, People's Committee of Thu Duc City and districts shall summarize the list of subjects for vaccination against COVID-19 from the above-mentioned agencies, units and organizations in accordance with their competence, fields and areas of management and responsibility; and enter such lists into the system of vaccination registration (address: https://form.tphcm.gov.vn) and conduct communication to serve as the basis for vaccine distribution and management of vaccination subjects.

- Based on the information on the residence address, the list of vaccination subjects shall be transferred to each locality to organize the vaccination.

2. Distribution and management of vaccines

The Department of Health (Center for Disease Control of the City) shall distribute vaccines to Thu Duc City and districts to organize vaccination for subjects classified by their locality:

- The number of vaccines expected to be distributed to each locality shall be based on the population, which can be adjusted during the campaign period depending on the actual number of subjects transferred for vaccination in the locality.

- Based on the daily vaccination quota in Thu Duc City and districts (at maximum 120 people/day/point of vaccination) and the cold storage capaCity of the Health Center, the City’s Center for Disease Control to distribute the first batch of vaccines to health centers for active use within 5 days. Depending on the actual number of vaccination subjects allocated to each locality, the City’s Center for Disease Control shall continue to adjust the number of vaccines allocated appropriately in each batch to reduce the time to receive and transport vaccines on a daily basis.

- The use of vaccines distributed to the localities shall be managed strictly; the number of vaccines between localities shall be coordinated timely among localities when there is a local shortage – excess; the use and distribution of vaccines shall be fully reported in accordance with law regulations.

3. Transportation and preservation of vaccines

- Medical units assigned to receive vaccines in cold storage/cold chain equipment shall be eligible to preserve vaccines in accordance with the requirements for storage temperature at the provincial and district levels. For the number of Modema, Pfizer vaccines used for the 2^nd dose, such vaccines shall continue to be stored in the qualified warehouse of negative/deep negative temperature of the vaccine supplier, the City’s Center for Disease Control shall only receive such vaccines 01 week before the time of the 2^nd dose.

- Localities shall organize the vaccination points in the community and work with the City’s Center for Disease Control to review and arrange fully cold chain equipment to preserve vaccines at vaccination points in order to satisfy the storage temperature requirements at vaccination points.

- The medical center shall use suitable means of transport to receive the vaccines distributed from the City’s Center for Disease Control; arrange adequate facilities and arrange a reasonable time to transport vaccines from the storage warehouse to each vaccination point on a daily basis in order to ensure the vaccination schedule.

- Trainings, inspection and examination on the transportation, preservation of vaccines in vaccination units shall be organized to ensure the maximum preservation quality in accordance with law provisions.

4. Organization of vaccination campaigns

4.1. Arrangement of vaccination points

- The People's Committee of Thu Duc City and districts shall organize at least 02 vaccination points in each ward, commune and township (equivalent to 02 vaccination tables); making a total of at least 624 vaccination points being established in 312 wards, communes and towns across the City.

- The Health sector shall mobilize medical staff who have been trained in vaccination against COVID-19 to 624 vaccination teams to work in vaccination points; to support the data input force of the Youth Union and support the local force in charge of organization and logistics; in addition, to prepare 100 backup vaccination teams in cases of requiring additional staff or replacement.

- Personnel at 01 vaccination point (vaccination table) shall include:

+ 02 local staff to welcome, guide medical declaration, measure body temperature, assist in issuing certificates of vaccination;

+ 02 youth union members to assist in inputting information of people who get vaccinated into the software;

+ 01 medical student to measure blood pressure;

+ 01 doctor for screening and consulting;

+ 01 nurse to perform the vaccination;

+ 01 post-injection monitoring nurse;

+ 01 doctor for initial treatment of anaphylaxis.

+ 01 employee of the medical unit to issue a certificate of vaccination.

The medical units shall assign specific personnel of the vaccination team to be in charge of each vaccination point (including the official team and the backup team), make a list (with contact information) and enter it into the vaccination management software so that these units can grasp and coordinate in monitoring; at the same time, proactively handle situations that need to mobilize personnel.

- Central general hospitals, and general hospitals of the City, Thu Duc City and districts, and non-public general hospitals shall organize the vaccination for subjects who need special monitoring in accordance with the guidance of the Ministry of Health (people with a medical history of allergies, people with underlying diseases, people with chronic diseases who have been treated and stable, people over 65 years of age and other subjects as prescribed); from the number of subjects listed on the vaccination registration system, the Department of Health shall specifically allocate vaccines to hospitals to perform the vaccination, ensuring the appropriate organizational capacity of each hospital and the number of vaccines.

4.2. Arrangement of the vaccination schedule: in accordance with the principle that whichever district is ready, able to ensure the safety of vaccination shall be allowed to do first.

- Phase 1 (02 weeks): vaccination points in the community shall organize the vaccination for assigned subjects. Each point shall perform the vaccination for up to 120 people/10 working hours/day.

- Phase 2 (the following weeks): depending on the actual situation of the number of subjects having been vaccinated in each ward, commune, town, these localities shall proactively re-arrange the vaccination points and vaccination teams for places where there are still subjects to be vaccinated; and at the same time, the general hospitals shall organize the vaccination for the subjects who need to be vaccinated in the hospital.

5. Ensuring vaccination safety and safety against COVID-19

- The organization of vaccination must comply with the measures to prevent and control SARS-CoV-2 infection as prescribed: ensure the distance between stages in 01 vaccination chain and between vaccination chains at 01 location. Ensure the safety and distance in accordance with law regulations, divide the vaccination into a number of sessions, each session with an appropriate number of people to get vaccinated.

- The organization of vaccination session must comply with the Official Dispatch No. 1734/BYT-DP dated March 17, 2021 of the Ministry of Health on guiding the organization of vaccination sessions against COVID-19; at the same time, ensure the requirements on distance and safety to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic; the Official Dispatch No. 5488/BYT-KCB dated July 9, 2021 of the Ministry of Health on providing guidelines to ensure the safety of vaccination against COVID-19; must pay close attention to control and ensure one-way flow for people who come to get vaccinated from the reception step to the step of issuing the written confirmation, even for those who delay the vaccination or those who have contraindications; must ensure full input of information and results of any person who comes to get vaccinated (having got the 1^st dose, the 2^nd dose or having delayed injection, or having had contraindications).

- To carry out full screening of subjects before vaccination in accordance with to the temporary guidance on pre-vaccination screening for COVID-19 vaccine issued in the Decision No. 2995/QD-BYT dated June 18, 2021 of the Ministry of Health, to timely detect cases of contraindications or postponement; the Decision No. 3445/QD-BYT dated July 15, 2021 of the Ministry of Health on promulgating the guidelines on amending and supplementing the temporary guidance on pre-vaccination screening for COVID-19 vaccines; cases recorded with factors that need to be cautious will be examined by specialists and get vaccinated at the hospital.

- To fully advise the vaccinated subjects on the effects and benefits of using the vaccine and explain possible reactions after vaccination against the COVID-19 vaccines.

- To collect and treat needles, syringes and medical wastes at the vaccination point in accordance with the Official Dispatch No. 102/MT-YT dated March 4, 2021 of the Agency of Administration of Environmental Health on the guidelines for the management of medical waste in the vaccination against COVID-19.

6. Monitoring and handling with adverse events after vaccination:

- The localities shall coordinate with the health sector to organize the implementation of plans to respond to, handle, and provide emergency treatment for adverse events after vaccination against COVID-19 in accordance with the Official Dispatch No. 5488/BYT-KCB dated July 9, 2021 of the Ministry of Health on guidelines to ensure the safety of vaccination against COVID-19:

+ At all vaccination points, the vaccination team must ensure the readiness, adequate manpower and emergency equipment for anaphylaxis.

+ The Department of Health shall arrange the mobile emergency teams together with ambulances of hospitals in each locality to be ready for on-site treatment and for transporting people who suffer from serious complications after vaccination to the hospital; arrange emergency parking locations in each locality to ensure the convenient access to the vaccination points.

+ The Department of Health shall assign hospitals by area to be ready to receive emergency care for people with serious complications after vaccination.

+ The Department of Health shall and implement the plan and process to handle adverse events after vaccination, including on-site handling of the vaccination team, content of coordination between the vaccination point and the outpatient emergency team and the local hospital to provide advanced emergency support and deliver treatment for cases of serious complications.

- The vaccination points shall monitor adverse events after vaccination against COVID-19 in accordance with the Official Dispatch No. 3886/BYT-DP dated May 11, 2021 of the Ministry of Health on guiding the monitoring of the adverse events after vaccination against COVID-19 to proactively detect and promptly handle adverse events after vaccination, especially serious complications.

- To fully issue certificates of vaccination against COVID-19 to the vaccinated persons.

- To strictly manage the list of subjects to get vaccinated by means of IT applications, to send reminders about the vaccination schedule in time to ensure that individuals will be fully vaccinated and to ensure the vaccine coverage rate in the City.

IV. FUNDINGS FOR IMPLEMENTATION

- The funding sources: The Department of Health shall actively use the budgetary funds assigned by the Municipal People's Committee in 2021 and the socialization sources.

- The funding shall be used for:

+ Costs for transportation of vaccines and equipment for preserving vaccines in accordance with law regulations.

+ Expenses for organizing the vaccination campaigns which include: expenses for supporting vaccination teams, consumables (besides those guaranteed by the Ministry of Health), expenses for electricity, water, fuel, and treatment of medical waste and environmental sanitation directly for the implementation of vaccination, etc.

+ Training activities for district health centers, vaccination points in the area.

+ Local media activities.

V. ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. The City’s COVID-19 Vaccine Coordination Center

Implement the management, supervision and coordination of vaccination activities in the City, ensure the safety, efficiency and convenience for people and comply with the requirements of COVID-19 prevention and control:

- To coordinate vaccination teams and ambulance transport teams for vaccination points in the community.

- To coordinate the number of vaccines to be distributed to localities and units organizing the vaccination.

- To coordinate the list and number of subjects to get vaccinated in the 5th phase of vaccination.

2. The Department of Health

- To assume the prime responsibility for and coordinate with units to implement plans, monitor and check the situation; to advise the Municipal People's Committee to settle arising problems (if any); to report on the implementation results to the Municipal People's Committee and the Ministry of Health.

- To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Department of Information and Communications to manage subjects to get the COVID-19 vaccine on the national vaccination management system.

- To organize communication and dissemination about the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the City; to develop and issue a manual to guide the organization of a vaccination campaign which includes important issues mainly to comply with professional regulations, ensure the vaccination safety and pandemic prevention, set such manual as a basis for management units to monitor the organization of implementation.

- To assign medical staff to participate in the vaccination teams in localities.

- To develop a detailed plan to organize vaccination for those who need to be vaccinated at the hospital.

- To regularly monitor the vaccination progress, closely manage the coordination, distribution and use of COVID-19 vaccines by the units.

- To report the results of daily implementation and summarize the results of the campaign to the Municipal People's Committee.

- To direct the City’s Center for Disease Control:

+ To allocate and manage vaccines for the Health Center of Thu Duc City and districts with the quantity in accordance with the plan on the national vaccination management system; to provide vaccine logistics, cold chain equipment to preserve vaccines and medical supplies for vaccination units in accordance with law regulations and professional guidance.

+ To organize training for vaccination units with full professional content on COVID-19 vaccination in accordance with the updated guidelines of the Ministry of Health.

+ To carry out professional supervision in the COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign; to monitor post-vaccination incidents in accordance with regulations of the Ministry of Health.

- To direct the Health Center of Thu Duc City and districts:

+ To receive, transport and store vaccines in accordance with the Ministry of Health's procedures; to strictly manage the use of allocated vaccines, minimize vaccine wastage in the course of vaccination; to immediately return unused vaccines to the City’s Center for Disease Control; for the last opened doses of vaccine, the person in charge of the vaccination points shall decide to transfer to other people who need vaccination to ensure that no vaccine is wasted.

+ To coordinate with local authorities and relevant units to organize the vaccination points and vaccination sessions in accordance with professional regulations; especially to ensure safety requirements for the pandemic prevention, to be ready to handle adverse incidents after vaccination.

+ To arrange teams of emergency transport vehicles suitable to vaccination points in the locality, ensuring the principle of being present at the place of post-vaccination adverse events within from 3 to 5 minutes.

+ To use the national vaccination management system to organize the management of vaccinated people in the locality.

+ To make complete and timely reports on the reception and use of vaccines, the results of daily vaccination and at the end of the vaccination period, to the local People's Committees and the Department of Health.

- To direct the vaccination units:

+ To be responsible for ensuring the safety and expertise quality of vaccination in accordance with the guidance of the Ministry of Health.

+ To issue certificates of vaccination against COVID-19 to subjects who have got vaccinated at the vaccination points.

+ To provide phone numbers to provide guidelines and answer questions if there are problems after vaccination.

- To direct the 115 Emergency Center and medical units to arrange full teams of ambulances in the localities.

- To direct medical examination and treatment facilities to be ready to provide guidelines or deliver timely treatment when there is a case of post-vaccination incident which contact or directly visit the facility; to fully report the information on the reception and handling of post-injection incidents at the facility as prescribed by the law.

3. Departments, branches, agencies, units and organizations having vaccination subjects

- To take full responsibility for the compilation of the registration list of vaccination subjects within their fields and scope of management in accordance with the Government's Resolution No. 21/NQ-CP; to fully input the registration list into the vaccination registration system in accordance with the guidance of the Department of Information and Communications.

- To submit information of the officers in charge of vaccination against COVID-19 to the Department of Health, the People's Committee of Thu Duc City and districts for coordination and selection of priority subjects for vaccination; to arrange the appropriate time and place for vaccination.

- To coordinate with the Health sector in managing subjects who are vaccinated against COVID-19 in accordance with the registration list.

4. The Department of Information and Communications

To provide guidelines and support to the Municipal Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, departments, agencies, branches, People's Committee of Thu Duc City, districts and related units in using the national vaccination management system for the management of vaccination subjects; to record, receive, adjust, and resolve software problems in a timely manner to ensure that these problems will not affect the vaccination campaign.

5. The Department of Finance

To coordinate with the Department of Health to advise the Municipal People's Committee to arrange budget sources to meet the funding needs for COVID-19 vaccination activities in the City.

6. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment

To coordinate with the People's Committee of Thu Duc City and districts to organize the collection and treatment of needles, syringes and medical waste at the vaccination point in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Health.

7. Proposal to the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City

- To coordinate and support departments, agencies and authorities at all levels to carry out propaganda and mobilization to raise awareness and responsibility of the whole society for vaccination against COVID-19; to mobilize organizations and units to contribute funds to buy vaccines and conduct the COVID-19 vaccinations in the City.

- To promote the role of socio-political organizations in supervising the implementation of the plan.

8. The Municipal Youth Union

To send youth union members, the young, and medical students to volunteer to support the organization work, the screening and data entry at COVID-19 vaccination points (at least 2 youth union members and 1 medical student at 1 vaccination point).

9. People's Committee of Thu Duc City and districts

- To establish local COVID-19 vaccination centers headed by 01 Vice Chairman of the People's Committee, including members of the authority, medical units and other relevant local units and organizations to take full responsibility for the organization of vaccination in the locality; to send the list of personnel of the COVID-19 vaccination center to the Municipal People's Committee and related departments, agencies and sectors for coordination.

- To coordinate with departments, agencies and sectors to conduct COVID-19 vaccination to priority subjects in accordance with to the local regulations and the allocated vaccine quota.

- The Chairperson of the People's Committee shall issue a decision to establish vaccination points and personnel for vaccination points in their locality.

- To actively arrange human resources of the Medical Center and hospital of Thu Duc City and districts to participate in the vaccination teams to ensure sufficient composition.

- To closely work with the supporting force of the City's health sector to appropriately arrange personnel of vaccination teams at vaccination points; to appropriately arrange administrative and logistic personnel in cases where a venue has 02 or more vaccination tables.

- To mobilize human resources of affiliated units, equipment and means to participate in logistics work, to organize vaccination campaigns in accordance with the guidance of the Health sector.

- To apply information technology in organizing COVID-19 vaccination in accordance with the guidance of the Department of Information and Communications.

- To organize vaccination sessions in compliance with professional requirements at vaccination locations, to ensure distance and other requirements on pandemic prevention and control.

- To actively manage and coordinate the vaccination schedule based on the number of subjects to get vaccinated, the vaccination locations, the vaccination teams, the emergency team having been assigned to the locality and the actual disease situation.

- To report promptly and fully about the vaccination work in their locality on a daily basis to the City's Coordination Center for support and adjustment if necessary; to report the results of the local implementation right after the end of the 5th vaccination phase.

- Based on approved list of priority subjects and the a list on the vaccination registration system of the Department of Information and Communications, the People’s Committee shall notify the time and point of vaccination to the vaccination subjects for comparison at the vaccination point, at the same time, support the vaccinated people to have the ground to actively leave their house, go to the vaccination point in accordance with the current regulations on social distancing; to fully disseminate to vaccination subjects in the locality about the contents to be performed when coming to the vaccination point under the instructions of the health sector.

Above is the plan to organize the 5^th phase of COVID-19 vaccination in Ho Chi Minh City. It is recommended that the units should seriously and urgently implement their assigned tasks, in the process of implementation, if any problems or difficulties arise, they should be reported to the Municipal People's Committee (through Department of Health) for timely guidance.

(Attached herewith the Procedure for organizing points for vaccination against COVID-19; the list of priority groups for vaccination against COVID-19 and the expected number of vaccines for the 5^th phase)./.

For the Head of the Steering Committee

The Deputy Head of the Steering Committee

Duong Anh Duc

Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City

* All Appendices are not translated herein.