The reserve of vaccines in HCMC is nearly depleted, which is impacting the health of young children. Photo tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY — Currently, the remaining vaccines in the Expanded Vaccination Programme in HCM City and many localities are only sufficient for the next few days and will soon be depleted.

In the southern HCM City alone, this is the third time it has faced this situation this year.

The supply of vaccines for expanded vaccination has been disrupted since the beginning of 2023 due to changes in the vaccine procurement mechanism. This has directly impacted the health of young children approaching the vaccination period.

HCM City has to wait for vaccine supplies

For several months now, various types of vaccines in the Expanded Vaccination Programme in HCMC and many localities have been gradually running out, not being supplied on time.

Many parents are concerned, visiting health stations to inquire about vaccinating their children. However, station staff can only respond that the particular vaccine is currently lacking, and they must advise waiting or using private vaccination services.

In an interview with Tuổi Trẻ newspaper, Nguyễn Trung Hòa, Director of the District Health Centre of Gò Vấp (HCMC), stated that health stations in the district have run out of vaccines in the Expanded Vaccination Programme.

At the health station in Bình Hưng Hòa Ward (Bình Tân District), the station representative reported that the shortage of vaccines in the Expanded Vaccination Programme has been occurring for several months, and now only the Japanese encephalitis vaccine remains.

Many parents bring their children to the station, only to be turned away. Quite a few parents patiently wait for their children to receive free vaccines due to tight economic conditions, unable to afford vaccination services.

Similarly, the head of a health station in a ward of Bình Thạnh District stated that the station only has the Japanese encephalitis vaccine left. With this situation, in a few more days, the station will likely run out of even this vaccine.

Hà Nội is also running out of many vaccines

In Hà Nội, many health stations have also announced the lack of some vaccines, forcing children to wait or choose paid vaccination services.

A representative of the Hà Nội Department of Health also provided information on some disrupted vaccine types. Specifically, the DPT vaccine ran out in April 2023, the single measles vaccine ran out in September 2023, and the hepatitis B vaccine ran out in October 2023. As for the 5-in-1 vaccine, there is enough for vaccines to last until December.

Surplus of private vaccination services

According to the HCM City's Department of Health, as of November 21, there were no more vaccines for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT), polio (IPV), hepatitis B, SII (DPT-VGB-Hib) in HCMC. Other remaining vaccines are very limited, enough for only a few days. These include measles, oral polio, tuberculosis, measles-rubella (MR), tetanus and Japanese encephalitis vaccines.

Ironically, at the Pasteur Institute in HCMC and many private vaccination centres in the area on the same afternoon, there were almost complete stocks of various preventive vaccines for children.

The HCMC Department of Health stated that, in response to the shortage of vaccines in the Expanded Vaccination Programme, the HCMC Department of Health had advised the People's Committee of HCMC to submit a report and request the Ministry of Health to urgently allocate vaccines to meet the vaccination needs of the people.

Earlier, on October 27, 2023, the Ministry of Health responded to the proposal of the People's Committee of HCMC. This document stated: "In the past time, the Ministry of Health has focused on solving difficulties and obstacles and is currently in the process of vaccine procurement. After obtaining the procurement results, the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology will allocate to HCMC and localities as soon as possible."

The Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology also stated that domestically produced vaccines under the Expanded Vaccination Programme are expected to be back in supply by the end of November 2023, while imported vaccines must wait until the end of December 2023.

A child being checked before inoculation in Đắk Lắk. VNA/VNS File Photo Dương Ngọc

Ministry of Health bears responsibility if there is a shortage of expanded vaccination vaccines

The Government Office has issued Announcement 183/TB-VPCP, which informed about Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà's remarks on the bidding for drug procurement at the Ministry of Health and localities, including vaccines in the expanded vaccination programme.

The Ministry of Health needs to review and compile the demand of the 63 provinces and centrally-run cities, balance with aid sources to bid at the national level, or place orders in accordance with the guidance in Announcement 26/TB-VPCP. The Ministry of Health is responsible before the Government and the Prime Minister in the event of a shortage of these drugs and vaccines.

Why the continuous vaccine shortages?

Addressing the media regarding the reasons behind this situation, Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan explained that according to regulations, when the Targeted Health Population Programme ended and its tasks became routine tasks of local budgets, the responsibility of localities began from 2023.

Based on this, the Government and relevant ministries provided guidance to localities. In 2022, the funding previously allocated to the Ministry of Health was expected to be allocated to various sectors and localities. However, due to procedural complications, these funds had not been utilised.

To address the urgent situation, the Ministry of Health proposed that the Government allow the continued use of the central budget to purchase vaccines in the programme. On July 10, the Government approved the Ministry of Health's proposal to continue using the central budget to buy vaccines for expanded vaccination.

However, to date, more than four months after the central budget allocation approval, vaccine supply continues to be disrupted. Localities repeatedly announce the depletion of vaccines in the Expanded Vaccination Programme, leading to many children missing their vaccinations. Even the hepatitis B vaccine administered within 24 hours of birth for infants is no longer available.

A representative from the National Expanded Immunisation Programme Office also acknowledged that domestically produced vaccines are facing shortages in some localities.

"The supply of vaccines in 2023 is being closely directed by the Ministry of Health to relevant units. The Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology is securing supply according to current regulations," they affirmed. — VNS