A health worker administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a girl in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has recently issued a plan to carry out a programme on ensuring vaccine supply until 2030.

Accordingly, the ministry will establish a steering committee in this May led by the Drug Administration of Việt Nam to take responsibility for the programme.

Priority mechanisms will be granted to the research and production of vaccines for emerging, dangerous and highly infectious diseases and new types of vaccines in Việt Nam, according to the health ministry.

Specific priority mechanisms will be given to combined vaccines and vaccines that have not been rolled out in the national expanded vaccination programme during the 2023-25 period.

The Drug Administration has been assigned to work with agencies to propose related regulations on granting licences and supplying vaccines in the 2023-25 period.

The ministry's departments and the National Institute for Control of Vaccine and Biologicals as well as other vaccine research and production facilities have been asked to apply new advanced technology in researching and producing anti-cancer vaccinations.

They have also been assigned to combine various types of vaccines to meet demand in the 2023-25 period.

The ministry's International Cooperation Department has been tasked with expanding bilateral and multilateral relations with other countries and international organisations in research and production.

The national programme on ensuring supply of vaccinations until 2030 also focuses on human resource training.

It looks to provide training to local experts and attract foreign experts to aid with research and production.

The expanded vaccination programme has been applied in Việt Nam since 1981. The programme was initiated by the Ministry of Health with the support of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

During the first phase, the new national expanded immunisation programme is applied to children under 1 year old, who are at high risk of disease and need to be protected.

The programme has been expanded with 12 free vaccines applicable to children from 0-10 years old.

According to the latest data, Việt Nam has administered nearly 266 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Ministry of Health plans to continue to promote COVID-19 vaccination, especially for high-risk cases, children from five to under 12 years old, those in big cities and areas regarded as key tourism spots with a high number of international visitors. — VNS