Urgently administer the 3rd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 18 and above, complete the 2-dose vaccination for children aged 5 to under 12 by August 2022
Complete the 2nd Dose of COVID-19 Vaccination for Children Aged 5 to Under 12 Years Old in August 2022?
Based on Section I of Official Dispatch 3309/BYT-DP in 2022 from the Ministry of Health providing guidelines on COVID-19 vaccinations, directives have been issued to the Health Departments of provinces and centrally-governed cities, as follows:
“I. Health Departments of provinces and cities, and other units
a) Continue urgently implementing additional COVID-19 vaccination doses, booster doses (third doses) for individuals aged 18 and above; complete the administration of 2 doses for children aged 5 to under 12 years old in August 2022 ensuring safety and effectiveness.
b) Urgently organize the implementation of the fourth COVID-19 vaccination dose for individuals aged 18 and above who are indicated for vaccination.
c) Develop a plan and organize the administration of the third COVID-19 vaccination dose for children aged 12 to 17 years old.”
In August 2022, the second dose of COVID-19 vaccination must be completed for children aged 5 to under 12 years old. Additionally, the COVID-19 vaccination process must be urgently implemented as per the above-mentioned guidelines.
Urgently administer the third dose of COVID-19 vaccination for individuals aged 18 and above; complete the administration of 2 doses for children aged 5 to under 12 years old in August 2022? (Image from the internet)
Implement COVID-19 Vaccinations for Individuals Aged 18 and Above?
Based on Section II of Official Dispatch 3309/BYT-DP in 2022 from the Ministry of Health providing guidelines on COVID-19 vaccinations, the following recommendations have been made:
“II. COVID-19 Vaccinations for Individuals Aged 18 and Above
1. Administration of an additional dose (This is not the third dose)
- Subjects: individuals aged 18 and above, including
+ Individuals with moderate to severe immunocompromised conditions such as those undergoing active cancer treatment for tumors or blood cancer; individuals who have received organ transplants and are on immunosuppressive therapy; those undergoing treatment with CAR-T cell therapy (a type of treatment that helps the immune system attack and kill cancer cells) or who have received stem cell transplants (within the past 2 years); individuals with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome); individuals with advanced or untreated HIV infection; individuals undergoing high-dose corticosteroid or immunosuppressive therapy.
+ Individuals who have received the full basic dose of Sinopharm (Vero cell) or Sputnik V vaccine.
- Type of vaccine: the same type as the basic dose or an mRNA vaccine; or AstraZeneca for those who have received the full basic dose of the Sinopharm (Vero cell) vaccine.
- Interval: administer one additional dose 28 days to 3 months after the last dose of the basic regimen.
- Dosage: follow the manufacturer's guidelines approved by the Ministry of Health.
- Individuals who have contracted COVID-19 should be vaccinated immediately after recovery and completing medical isolation as per regulations.
2. Administration of the first booster dose (third dose) (excluding the additional dose)
- Subjects: individuals aged 18 and above who have received the full basic dose (either 1, 2, or 3 doses depending on the type of vaccine and any additional dose if applicable)
- Type of vaccine: the same type as the basic dose or an mRNA vaccine; or AstraZeneca if the basic dose was administered with the Sinopharm (Vero cell) vaccine or an mRNA vaccine.
- Interval: administer one booster dose at least 3 months after the last dose of the basic regimen.
- Dosage: follow the manufacturer's guidelines approved by the Ministry of Health. For the Moderna vaccine, administer a 0.25 ml dose (1/2 the basic dose).
- Individuals who have contracted COVID-19 should be vaccinated immediately after recovery and completing medical isolation as per regulations.
3. Administration of the second booster dose (fourth dose)
- Subjects: individuals aged 50 and above; individuals aged 18 and above with moderate to severe immunocompromised conditions; individuals aged 18 and above at high risk of COVID-19 exposure such as healthcare workers, frontline workers (police, military, teachers, individuals working in transportation, essential service providers, individuals working in tourism services, shopping malls, supermarkets, markets), workers, and those working in industrial zones.
- Type of vaccine: mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna); AstraZeneca; same type as the third dose (first booster).
- Interval: at least 4 months after the third dose (first booster).
- Individuals who have contracted COVID-19 after the third dose: vaccinate after 3 months of contracting COVID-19 and ensure an interval of at least 4 months after the third dose.”
Thus, for individuals aged 18 and above, the COVID-19 vaccination process will be implemented as per the above content.
Use of Pfizer Vaccine for the Third Dose of COVID-19 Vaccination for Children Aged 12 to 17 Years Old?
Based on Section III of Official Dispatch 3309/BYT-DP in 2022 from the Ministry of Health providing guidelines on COVID-19 vaccinations, the following recommendations have been made:
“III. Administration of the booster dose (third dose) of COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 12 to 17 years old
- Subjects: children aged 12 to 17 who have received the full basic dose (first and second doses)
- Type of vaccine: Pfizer vaccine approved by the Ministry of Health for this age group.
- Dosage: 0.3 ml dose, similar to the basic dose for individuals aged 12 and above
- Interval: at least 5 months after the last dose of the basic regimen (second dose)
- Individuals who have contracted COVID-19: vaccinate 3 months after contracting COVID-19 and ensure an interval of at least 5 months from the last dose of the basic regimen.”
Thus, for children aged 12 to under 17 who have received the first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the Pfizer vaccine approved by the Ministry of Health will be used for the third dose.
Which Vaccine to Use for COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children Aged 5 to Under 12 Years Old?
According to Section IV of Official Dispatch 3309/BYT-DP in 2022 from the Ministry of Health providing guidelines on COVID-19 vaccinations, the following recommendations have been made:
“IV. COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children Aged 5 to 12 Years Old
- Type of vaccine: the same type as approved by the Ministry of Health for this age group. Dosage according to the corresponding age and interval between doses as guided by the manufacturer and the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, including:
+ For Pfizer vaccine administering for children aged 5 to 12
+ For Moderna vaccine administering for children aged 6 to 12
- Children aged 5 to under 12 who have contracted COVID-19: vaccinate 3 months after contracting the disease.”
The administration of vaccines for children aged 5 to under 12 must be carried out as per the above guidelines from the Ministry of Health.
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