Lack of vaccines for expanded immunization nationwide
According to the latest information from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health , by the end of November, there are not many types of vaccines left in the Expanded Immunization Program in Ho Chi Minh City.
Specifically, Ho Chi Minh City no longer has DPT (diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus) vaccines; IPV (injectable polio); DPT-VGB-Hib (SII) - a combination vaccine to prevent 5 diseases: diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B, pneumonia/purulent meningitis caused by Hib bacteria. Other vaccines including: measles, bOPV, BCG, MR, tetanus, Japanese encephalitis are very limited.
Vaccination staff in Thanh Hoa monitor vaccinations for children in the expanded immunization program.
According to the Ministry of Health , the shortage of expanded immunization vaccines is happening nationwide. The reason, according to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, is that in 2023, implementing the Budget Law, localities will proactively carry out procedures to purchase vaccines from their local budgets. However, localities are facing many difficulties in the implementation process.
To overcome the situation of running out and shortage of vaccines in expanded immunization, after the Prime Minister issued Resolution No. 98/NQ-CP on July 10 and Decision No. 931/QD-TTg on August 5 allocating funds for the Ministry of Health to centrally purchase vaccines, the Ministry of Health is urgently completing the procedures.
Of which, for vaccines that can be produced domestically (10 types of vaccines), the Ministry of Health has reviewed regulations and implemented purchases in the form of orders.
The Ministry of Health has sent the maximum price plan to the Ministry of Finance for review and approval. Based on that, the Ministry of Health will approve the specific price plan and assign the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) to sign contracts with vaccine production units to receive vaccines and immediately distribute them to localities.
For the "5 in 1" vaccine that must be imported, the Ministry of Health has assigned NIHE to conduct procurement through open domestic bidding in accordance with the provisions of the Bidding Law.
Ho Chi Minh City lacks many vaccines, risk of dangerous outbreak
490,600 more doses of "5-in-1" vaccine donated in December
According to Ms. Huong, while waiting for the completion of procurement procedures, the Ministry of Health has also proactively sought aid and vaccine funding from international and domestic organizations for the Expanded Immunization Program.
Previously, at the end of August, with aid and funding from the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund and other organizations, the Ministry of Health received 258,000 doses of the "5 in 1" vaccine. These vaccines were allocated and administered to children in the expanded immunization program in September - October.
It is expected that this December, there will be an additional 490,600 doses of "5 in 1" vaccine arriving in Vietnam, which is a source of aid from the Australian Government.
In addition, the Ministry of Health has been directing relevant units to make plans for vaccine supply in 2024, ensuring supply; directing localities to be proactive in monitoring, detecting epidemics and responding, and implementing measures to vaccinate high-risk groups in epidemic areas to contain and prevent the spread of the disease.
Currently, NIHE and the Expanded Immunization Program have issued documents guiding provinces and cities on supplementary and catch-up vaccinations for localities when additional vaccines are available.
To solve the problem fundamentally and long-term, the Ministry of Health is coordinating with relevant ministries and branches to amend Decree No. 104/2016/ND-CP dated July 1, 2016 of the Government regulating vaccination activities, which allows the allocation of the central budget to ensure funding for purchasing vaccines for the Expanded Immunization Program.
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