He added that 1.3 million doses of vaccines are expected to arrive in Vietnam this month through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility program, and more to be provided in the next two months. The safety of the vaccination program will be ensured at the highest level, Mr. Long said.

The first phase of vaccination will focus on high-priority people and the pandemic prevention staff. "Medical staff who directly take care of COVID-19 patients and other members of the pandemic prevention staff will be vaccinated first to reduce their infection risks," Mr. Long said, "Therefore, we cannot allocate vaccines to all 63 localities but prioritize 13 cities and provinces that have infections, especially Hai Duong province.”