Prime Minister: Covid-19 is no longer a particularly dangerous infectious disease

Covid-19 in Vietnam is no longer a particularly dangerous infectious disease group A, however the Prime Minister requested research on annual vaccination to prevent the epidemic.

On the afternoon of June 3, chairing a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Covid-19 no longer meets the criteria for being a group A infectious disease, which means it is especially dangerous, has the ability to spread very quickly, spread widely, has a high mortality rate or the cause is unknown. The declaration of the end of the epidemic will follow the provisions of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, the authority to transfer Covid-19 from group A to group B (dangerous infectious diseases that can spread quickly and cause death) belongs to the Ministry of Health .

The Government leader assigned the Ministry of Health to complete a plan to sustainably control Covid-19 until 2025, and prepare to respond to other possible pandemics or the return of Covid-19. He also requested to continue vaccinating against Covid-19 in accordance with the situation, including studying annual vaccination in the expanded immunization program.

Based on the guidance of the Ministry of Health and the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, localities direct specialized agencies to review and declare the end of the epidemic in the area.

After this meeting, the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control has completed its tasks and will be strengthened to suit the new situation.

Looking back on three years of pandemic prevention, the Prime Minister said the Covid-19 pandemic has surprised the whole world, including Vietnam. This is the first time in history that Vietnam has prevented and controlled a dangerous group A infectious disease on a national scale, with many unprecedented difficulties and challenges that have lasted from the beginning of 2020 until now.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on the afternoon of June 3. Photo: Nhat Bac

However, the Prime Minister affirmed that "we have successfully prevented and fought Covid-19, we are behind but ahead". Vietnam effectively combines administrative and scientific measures; implementing the largest free vaccine and vaccination strategy in history.

Recalling the more than 43,000 deaths due to the pandemic, many of whom sacrificed their lives on the front lines, the Prime Minister sent condolences to the families of those who died from Covid-19, especially those involved in the fight against the pandemic; thanked overseas Vietnamese and the international community for their support. "The pandemic once again affirms that the spirit of solidarity is a priceless asset of the nation, regardless of age, gender, religion, domestic or foreign," said the Prime Minister.

According to the World Health Organization, the Covid-19 virus still has a rapid transmission rate, but in Vietnam, the number of cases has decreased 8.5 times compared to 2021; decreased 48 times compared to 2022. The case fatality rate in the first 5 months of the year decreased to 0.02%, equivalent to or lower than the mortality rate of some group B infectious diseases in the past 5 years such as dengue fever, malaria, diphtheria, whooping cough. Therefore, the Ministry of Health concluded and proposed to apply the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases to adjust Covid-19 from group A to group B.

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Hanoi vaccinates children against Covid-19, April 2022. Photo: Pham Chieu

When Covid-19 is no longer a group A infectious disease, the authority to declare the end of the epidemic will belong to the Minister of Health. Therefore, the Ministry of Health will report to the Prime Minister to consider declaring the end of the validity of the decision to declare the Covid-19 epidemic in April 2020. After that, the Ministry of Health will coordinate with localities to assess the situation to implement appropriate epidemic prevention measures.

Vnexpress.net