Over 60 Vietnamese soldiers have received their first COVID-19 vaccine shots to get ready for United Nations peacekeeping missions in South Sudan.

The 175 Military Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City began COVID-19 vaccination for military officers belonging to priority groups, including 64 soldiers who are about to head to South Sudan for UN peacekeeping missions, on Tuesday.

As these soldiers are scheduled to travel to South Sudan on March 24 to work for the level-2 Field Hospital No. 3, their second vaccine shots will later be sent to the African country.

The COVID-19 vaccine they received is developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, which requires a 12-week interval between two shots for each person.

“I feel nervous but very happy that I was able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. I hope that everyone will get vaccinated in the near future,” said Le Na, who was among the 64 officers.

About 2,100 vaccine doses have been allocated to 175 Military Hospital and will be given to general-ranked officers in southern Vietnam, officers assigned with peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, officers sent on overseas business trips, and officers on duty at DK1 rigs in the East Vietnam Sea.

Medical staff under 175 Military Hospital’s medical examination, emergency resuscitation, infectious disease, laboratory test, and rapid response ward are also among the target groups.

The infirmary will coordinate with the Border Guard High Command to provide COVID-19 inoculation to officers in charge of guarding the borderline in southern Tay Ninh Province.

Vietnam began COVID-19 vaccination on March 8.

By the end of Tuesday, 20,695 people in the Southeast Asian country had received their first COVID-19 vaccine jabs, according to the Expanded Program on Immunization.

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