Quang Nam: reaching the older people and the vulnerable for COVID-19 vaccination
For 82-year-old Huynh Thi Cam of Cam Ha commune, Hoi An District of Quang Nam Province of Viet Nam, being vaccinated against COVID-19 means taking comfort in the thought that she is being protected from getting severe illness. It also makes her children and grandchildren happier as she can spend more time with them.
For 66-year-old Nguyen Thi Truc of Dien Hoa commune, Dien Ban District of Quang Nam, vaccination will enable her to enjoy more time with family and friends, and her dog Black who accompanied her to the vaccination site and sat with her through the process.
For the 84-year-old Tu Thi Bay from Trang Suoi village, Cam Ha commune, Hoi An district, vaccination means being protected from the infection risk as the district will soon open for tourism following the new normal stage.
Mrs Cam, Mrs Truc and Mrs Bay are just some of the hundreds of older persons living in Quang Nam Province that are being reached by the local Provincial Disease Control for COVID-19 vaccination.
As Viet Nam ramps up vaccination in the country, reaching and vaccinating the older persons is a priority. Our grandparents and older persons and those with co-morbidities are at the highest risk of severe disease and deaths from COVID-19. Their risk-level is even higher as the virus continues to spread in the community and has mutated into more transmissible variants of concern.
For those who are unable to come to the health facilities, due to old age or disability, the Quang Nam CDC has assigned mobile vaccination teams for home vaccination and health monitoring. These medical teams go out of their way to reach the unreached.
The 102-year old Tran Thi Thuy from Cam Ha commune was vaccinated on 10 November by the team from commune health facility.
Her 73-year old daughter, who was already vaccinated, was initially worried if her mother could take the vaccine due to her old age. But when she learned that the older persons need the vaccine the most, she was relieved that her mother finally got the COVID-19 vaccine, and was also checked by the health professionals.
The 88-year old father was gracious to the health team when he was visited to receive his COVID-19 vaccine. He felt energized to get vaccinated and her daughter was grateful that her father can spend more time with family, with the added protection from the vaccine.
To ensure more people are vaccinated, especially those vulnerable populations, WHO, continues to support the Government in making vaccines available in the country through the COVAX Facility.
The COVAX Facility is co-led by WHO, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations (CEPI), GAVI - the Vaccine Alliance, and UNICEF as a delivery partner.
In addition to vaccine supply, WHO also provides technical support in rolling out of the vaccines at the local levels, making sure they reach the eligible populations, wherever they are in the country.
Older people who are vaccinated are able to pursue activities that are meaningful to them and beneficial for healthy ageing.
Prioritizing the older persons saves lives and ensure better quality of life. And prioritizing the vaccination of the most vulnerable has numerous positive spillover effect, such as protecting other family members and supporting local economies.
WHO continues to remind the vaccinated citizens to continue to adhere to 5K preventive measures — like wearing a mask, handwashing, physical distancing and avoiding crowds.
Photos credit: WHO Viet Nam/Loan Tran