A child is administered a vaccine in Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have agreed to ensure vaccine supply to support Việt Nam’s expanded vaccination programme, Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan has said.

Talking to the press on June 14, Lan referred to the vaccine shortage for the programme, saying that the situation may increase the risk of disease outbreaks.

The vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) for booster shots for children aged 18-24 months is currently out of stock, but DPT vaccine producers have affirmed their readiness to supply this vaccine immediately to Việt Nam once a decision on procurement and bidding has been made, she said.

Among vaccines for the expanded immunisation programme, the imported vaccine that has suffered a shortage for several months is the 5-in-1 vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).

She attributed the situation to the lack of state budget allocated to the Ministry of Health for procurement, bidding, and negotiations of vaccine prices.

Over 200,000 doses of the 5-in-1 vaccine pledged by WHO and UNICEF, along with over 65,000 doses from domestic donors, are expected to ensure a sufficient number of vaccines for the programme, Lan said.

These supplies will be prioritised for the immunisation of children in remote and difficult areas where they find it difficult to access vaccination services, she noted.

The MoH has worked with the supervision delegation of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on the need for continued allocation of state budget to enable the ministry to effectively implement the expanded vaccination programme nationwide, Lan said.

With the support of WHO and UNICEF, the expanded vaccination programme has been applied in Việt Nam since 1981.

The shortage of vaccines has persisted since mid-2022. In the first quarter of 2023, only 18 provinces and cities conducted catch-up vaccinations, with 123,498 doses administered. This number is very low compared to the number of children that are in need of catch-up vaccination and does not significantly change the vaccination rate in the region.

According to health experts, the low vaccination rate puts Việt Nam at risk of large-scale outbreaks of infectious diseases. — VNS