The vaccines in Ho Chi Minh City's expanded immunization program only have enough for two weeks.

Vaccines under the Expanded Immunization Program in Ho Chi Minh City are running low, with only enough to provide free vaccinations for children for about the next two weeks. Supply is unlikely to resume until December.

On the afternoon of October 11th, a representative from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health stated that only about 3,000 doses of the DPT-VGB-HiB vaccine (a 5-in-1 vaccine protecting against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, Hib pneumonia, and Hib meningitis) remain. The city received 12,400 doses of this vaccine from the World Health Organization and UNICEF on August 15th, and has been administering it to children for nearly two months.

Other vaccines such as the measles-rubella vaccine have only 2,300 doses left, the measles vaccine has 660 doses, the tetanus vaccine has 600 doses, and the hepatitis B vaccine has 89 doses... It is expected that the city will run out of vaccines for children in two weeks.

The Department continues to urge the Ministry of Health to expedite the vaccine supply schedule. In the meantime, the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control continues to rationally coordinate the remaining vaccine supply among districts. Health stations are reviewing and closely managing the list of children due for new vaccinations and booster shots to promptly remind and administer vaccinations as soon as vaccines become available again.

The health sector advises that the 5-in-1 vaccine (available for a fee) is still available at many facilities in the area. If necessary, parents can consider taking their children to health facilities for consultation and vaccination as needed.

For many years, the supply of vaccines has been handled by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. Since 2022, the supply has been disrupted due to changes in the procurement mechanism. The Ministry of Finance has not allocated budget for the Ministry of Health to purchase vaccines, forcing localities to procure them themselves, but all provinces and cities have faced difficulties. To resolve this issue, in July, the Prime Minister issued a resolution requiring the Ministry of Health to purchase vaccines.

Accordingly, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology is making efforts to resume the vaccine procurement process. On October 6th, the Institute requested localities to review their vaccine quantities. It is expected that the earliest the Institute will have a renewed supply of vaccines under the Expanded Immunization Program is the end of December.

The Expanded Immunization Program is a free, national immunization program that protects children from several common and highly fatal infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, measles, Japanese encephalitis, cholera, typhoid fever, pneumonia, and Hib meningitis.

Le Phuong

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