258,000 doses of 5-in-1 vaccine to relieve vaccination shortage

185,700 doses of 5-in-1 vaccine delivered by the World Health Organization and UNICEF and more than 70,000 doses sponsored by businesses have arrived in Vietnam, overcoming the shortage that has caused vaccination rates to drop.

On the afternoon of July 27, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that the vaccines will be inspected and then distributed to localities for immediate vaccination of children. On July 28, specialized vehicles will transport the vaccines to 14 provinces and cities that have difficulty accessing vaccination services, especially in the northern mountainous region.

It is expected that from the beginning of August, children over two months old who have not been vaccinated or have not received enough doses of the vaccine will be vaccinated. "The younger the child, the more priority they need to be given to vaccination," said Ms. Lan.

The 5-in-1 vaccine protects children against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and Haemophilus Influenzae type B (Hib), as part of the Expanded Programme on Immunization, which is free for children. Due to the shortage, an estimated 300,000 Vietnamese children born in early 2023 will still not be vaccinated, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Unvaccinated children are at higher risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases such as diphtheria, which can be fatal. When many children are unvaccinated, this can lead to disease outbreaks.

Lai Chau is one of 14 localities receiving the 5-in-1 vaccine this time. Mr. Tran Hau Kien, Director of the Lai Chau Center for Disease Control (CDC), said that the province is home to 20 ethnic groups, with over 10,000 children under one year old needing vaccination. "These vaccines will be administered immediately," Mr. Kien said.

185,700 doses of 5-in-1 vaccine, urgently supported by WHO and UNICEF, arrived in Vietnam on the afternoon of July 27. Photo: UNICEF

The expanded immunization program currently provides 11 types of vaccines for children free of charge. Vietnam has produced 9 types of vaccines, and imported two. Recently, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the supply has been disrupted. After the pandemic, the policy on budget decentralization should have a transition period in the supply of imported vaccines, so there is a "lag".

In fact, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and many provinces such as Tien Giang, An Giang, Quang Ninh, Ha Giang, Binh Duong... have run out of free vaccines for children since last year. Ho Chi Minh City's expanded vaccination rate is low. In the first four months of the year, the city only achieved over 77% of full vaccination for children under one year old, while the target is 95%.

UNICEF Representative in Viet Nam, Ms. Rana Flowers, said that immunization saves the lives of millions of children every year around the world. "The barriers to immunization must be overcome, otherwise children everywhere will continue to be at risk of illness or death from preventable diseases," she said.

Le Nga

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