MoH: 90M Doses of Covid Vaccine to Arrive in 2021

I read that the vaccines will be free to Vietnamese, but that a small number will be sold to those who can afford them, I assume foreigners.  Depending on the cost, I would consider purchase when and if they become available, although I don't actually feel in very much danger here while the borders are closed.

https://vietnaminsider.vn/vietnamese-pe … -long-run/

More useful for me would be if Vietnam started allowing visas and entry to those who have been vaccinated, because then I could go back to the US, get vaccinated at my reservation and then come back to Vietnam.

paulmsn wrote:

I read that the vaccines will be free to Vietnamese, but that a small number will be sold to those who can afford them, I assume foreigners.  Depending on the cost, I would consider purchase when and if they become available, although I don't actually feel in very much danger here while the borders are closed.

https://vietnaminsider.vn/vietnamese-pe … -long-run/

More useful for me would be if Vietnam started allowing visas and entry to those who have been vaccinated, because then I could go back to the US, get vaccinated at my reservation and then come back to Vietnam.

Depends where in VN you live, the closer to airports or northern borders money talks and people get smuggled in.... bringing more virus risks

Keep the borders closed for now, even so called experts coming in pose huge risks

Jlgarbutt wrote:

Depends where in VN you live, the closer to airports or northern borders money talks and people get smuggled in.... bringing more virus risks

Keep the borders closed for now, even so called experts coming in pose huge risks

I wouldn't say huge risks, since they are quarantined on arrival, and I'm sure they'll keep closer tabs on them now.  The border areas are certainly an issue, but I'd say the Vietnamese government is doing fairly well.  Better to be an island in these times.

paulmsn wrote:

Jlgarbutt wrote:

Depends where in VN you live, the closer to airports or northern borders money talks and people get smuggled in.... bringing more virus risks

Keep the borders closed for now, even so called experts coming in pose huge risks

I wouldn't say huge risks, since they are quarantined on arrival, and I'm sure they'll keep closer tabs on them now.  The border areas are certainly an issue, but I'd say the Vietnamese government is doing fairly well.  Better to be an island in these times.

Quarantine on arrival hasn't been a storming success so far, most of the new cases beimg linked to overseas travelera who either dont bother or think there is no risk.

First wave just a tiny number of cases, more recently there has been a big jump

Jlgarbutt wrote:

Quarantine on arrival hasn't been a storming success so far, most of the new cases beimg linked to overseas travelera who either dont bother or think there is no risk.

First wave just a tiny number of cases, more recently there has been a big jump

They don't have the option of not bothering -- arriving passengers are put in quarantine immediately.  A few have broken quarantine, like the flight attendant in HCMC, some have tested positive after entering the self-quarantine portion, and some seem to have been missed.  Given the number who have entered quarantine on arrival, I'd say they've been pretty successful.  We're talking many thousands of people.

I don't believe they know the origin of either of the two current breakouts other than location, so there are some questions, but they already have the Tan Son Nhat breakout contained and they're optimistic about the Hai Duong breakout, which was exacerbated by a more contagious variant.  When community transmissions occur, I lock up and hope the news doesn't tell me that I was near any infected people.  So far the closest were several kilometers away.

paulmsn wrote:

When community transmissions occur, I lock up and hope the news doesn't tell me that I was near any infected people.  So far the closest were several kilometers away.

Do you have Bluezone installed in your phone?

Ciambella wrote:

Do you have Bluezone installed in your phone?

No, but I read a lot of articles and the government is pretty upfront about telling us where there are cases and what is being done about them.  I like that if you go to the right place, you can find out what alley or apartment block is being roped off.

I don't get out much since I stopped dancing, so grocery shopping is my most dangerous activity.  When I read of new community transmissions, I quickly go buy food, usually after midnight, and stay home for a while.  Probably overkill.

I certainly hope that Vietnam will consider the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that was just approved in the US.  The efficacy may be a little less that some of the others, but it reportedly provided 100% protection from death in trials.  Another plus is that it may be better against the new South African strain of the virus. 

However the big pluses are in handling.  It needs only normal refrigeration and needs only one shot.  These aspects should make it superior in rural areas of Vietnam (and even rural areas in the US.)