Vietnam's health ministry has said that the country's coronavirus epicentre, Ho Chi Minh City, and capital Hanoi must vaccinate all of their adult residents with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot by September 15, Reuters reports.

The cities must "mobilise all capable forces including private medical facilities, to vaccinate people at full capacity", the ministry said in an emergency dispatch.

The ministry also set the Sept 15 deadline for the southern industrial provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An to vaccinate all of their adult populations.

It said Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Long An have been allocated enough vaccine doses for the vaccination drive.