(Photo: tuoitre.vn)

HCM City’s District 7, which has the biggest community of expats, has already vaccinated 18,000 foreigners of 106 nationalities. That’s more than half of the foreigners living in the district. Volunteers working at the vaccination sites help foreigners fill out the necessary forms and accompany them as they get their blood pressure measured and are screened and vaccinated.

Tran Quang Quynh, Chairman of Tan Phu ward’s People’s Committee in District 7, said, 'In Tan Phu ward there are 26 apartment buildings that have mostly foreigners. We have contacted them and told them how to apply for the city’s vaccination program.'

Other districts in HCM City and Thu Duc city are also accelerating COVID-19 vaccination of local citizens and foreigners.

Kim Yuri of South Korea lives in District 7. Yuri said, 'I was a little bit worried previously. I thought foreigners would have to wait a long time to get vaccinated. But the Vietnamese government has helped us get access to vaccination. I appreciate that effort by the State.'

The Vietnamese government has extended vaccination coverage to more than 600 members of foreign diplomatic corps and UN agencies and their relatives. Reporters and press assistants of foreign press bureaus and foreign correspondents in Vietnam have also been vaccinated.

Deputy spokesperson for Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry Pham Thu Hang said, 'The Vietnamese government pays attention to ensuring the safety and health care of foreigners living and working in Vietnam. During this pandemic outbreak, vaccinating foreigners is part of our effort to achieve herd immunity. The Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Health to vaccinate foreigners in Vietnam regardless of their nationality and to give them the same priority as Vietnamese people. If they are not in a high priority region or category, they are encouraged to register for vaccination just as Vietnamese citizens do.'