Director of Hanoi Department of Health worries about lack of vaccines for children

On the morning of November 2, speaking at the discussion session on the mid-term assessment of the implementation of the Medium-term Public Investment Plan for the period 2021 - 2025; the National Financial Plan and 5-year public debt borrowing and repayment for the period 2021 - 2025, delegate Tran Thi Nhi Ha - Director of the Hanoi Department of Health mentioned the explanation of the Minister of Health on the contents related to the procurement of vaccines for the Expanded Immunization Program.

Delegates said that the lack of vaccines is a very serious problem. In Hanoi, by November 2023, 5/10 types of vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program were not provided enough to vaccinate children, such as: Measles single vaccine, Diphtheria - Whooping cough - Tetanus, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, and Polio injection.

"Without expanded vaccination, people have to seek expensive vaccination services, and when there is a lack of free vaccines, the most affected are poor children, children in ethnic minority areas, remote areas and those who do not have access to vaccination services," said Ms. Ha.

Dialogue - Director of Hanoi Department of Health worries about lack of vaccines for children — National Assembly Delegate Tran Thi Nhi Ha.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), vaccination and adherence to the vaccination schedule are proactive disease prevention measures and one of the most effective ways to protect children's health. Children who are not vaccinated or are not fully vaccinated on schedule are at increased risk of disease.

"WHO and UNICEF have ranked the possibility of polio returning to Vietnam from the lowest level to medium-high from the beginning of 2023, due to the lack of polio vaccine," Ms. Ha emphasized.

The delegates suggested that the National Assembly and the Government pay attention to this issue. The Government needs to consider this an urgent situation, to come up with specific and exceptional solutions as in the spirit of Resolution 80 of the Government on Covid-19 prevention and control, to immediately purchase vaccines to ensure that children are vaccinated with the right dose and on schedule.

Previously, speaking at the discussion session on socio-economics, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that regarding expanded immunization, implementing Resolution 99 of the National Assembly and Resolution 98 of the Government, from August 5, 2023, the Prime Minister has issued a Decision to supplement the 2023 budget estimate for the Ministry of Health to purchase vaccines in the expanded immunization program.

The Ministry of Health has organized procurement in accordance with legal regulations. To date, 10 types of domestically produced vaccines have been ordered in accordance with regulations.

Currently, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance are actively coordinating to review and approve prices and are expected to complete this in November 2023. For the 5-in-1 vaccine that must be imported, the Ministry has completed the bidding process and is awaiting results to implement it in November.

While waiting for the procurement of vaccines according to State regulations, the Ministry of Health has mobilized domestic sponsors and WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to support nearly 30,000 doses of 5-in-1 vaccine for 63 localities to carry out vaccination. Currently, the Ministry of Health is actively coordinating with organizations to supplement this vaccine source... .

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