Health and education sectors to coordinate closely in implementing vaccination of children

The organisation of the vaccination of children will take place in the form of a campaign; therefore, the education sector will work closely with the health sector to deploy safe vaccination for children aged 12-17 years old.

The two ministers met on the afternoon of November 1. (Photo: TRAN MINH)
The two ministers met on the afternoon of November 1. (Photo: TRAN MINH)

On the afternoon of November 1, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long - Minister of Health and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Kim Son - Minister of Education and Training co-chaired a working session between the two ministries on coordination to ensure safety and prevention of epidemics at educational institutions after reopening.

At the meeting, the delegates listened to the representative of the Ministry of Education and Training briefly present the measures to ensure safety and prevention epidemics for students when organising direct teaching activities at the educational institutions.

The two ministries discussed the work of ensuring safety for epidemic prevention and control when organising direct teaching at educational institutions as well as the plan on deploying vaccination for students aged 12-17, coordinating to ensure the safety of students when implementing vaccinations as well as the responsibilities of educational institutions and students' families.

Regarding the issue of vaccination against COVID-19 for children, Assoc. Prof., Dr. Duong Thi Hong, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said that vaccination of children is to take place in the form of a campaign, beginning with children aged 16-17 years old, then gradually decreasing in age.

She also suggested that the local education sector note that the injection sites at schools strictly follow the professional guidelines of the Ministry of Health in relation to vaccination. The cooperation of schools with health care in vaccination work is very important.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Nguyen Thanh Long highly appreciated the cooperation between the two ministries in training, taking care of students' health as well as practical community activities to protect people's health.

According to the Minister of Health, letting students return to school is a legitimate need, so relevant ministries and branches, especially the People's Committees of provinces and cities need to consider it important, creating optimal conditions for students to return to school while ensuring safety.

At the meeting, the leaders of the two ministries discussed and agreed that they should soon review and supplement the guide "Handbook on prevention and control of COVID-19 in schools" to organise training for the national school system.

The two ministers agreed that is necessary to coordinate more closely to implement measures to ensure health and safety in schools when students return to school, in accordance with the spirit of Resolution 128, encouraging localities to behave in accordance with the reopening of schools in each commune and ward equivalent to epidemic control levels.