HÀ NỘI – High-quality vaccines are available to people on low income with a zero percent interest rate on installment payments.

The programme is the first of its kind  in Việt Nam and is available on a monthly repayment plan for adults and children in Hà Nội, HCM City and Đồng Nai.

The plan has been launched at all five vaccination centres of the Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company.

Ngô Chí Dũng, director of the company said patients registering for vaccine packages worth VNĐ3 million (US$129) or more would be eligible to the programme.

Patients are required to have a credit card from the company’s partner banks, and the monthly installments will be deducted from their bank account over six months.

Currently, as many as six banks have joined the programme, including HSBC, Techcombank, VIB, Sacombank, TPBank, and Standard Chartered.

There were three vaccine packages available for children, adults and pregnant women.

Children aging under one and two years old would be provided with 11 types of vaccines costing VNĐ12.5 million ($537) and VNĐ 17.8 million ($765) respectively.

Adults and expectant mothers would be given five types of vaccines worth between VNĐ3.5million ($150) and VNĐ5.5 million ($236) and between VNĐ2.3 million ($98) and VNĐ 3.2 million ($137) respectively.

Dũng said those who registered for the programme would agree to have vaccines, free check-ups and consultations and the prices of vaccines would not increase when the package during the length of the contract.

Lê Thị Thanh Tình, resident in Biên Hoà City’s Long Bình Ward said she appreciated the plan as it helped many parents ease financial burdens when they decided to choose high-quality vaccination service.

Tình said she had twins, so all the costs doubled. The division of the money for small sums in six months was a good solution for her and her family.

In addition, she said she no longer worries about a shortage of vaccines for her babies.

Tạ Thành Đoàn, another parent in Biên Hoà City, said before registering for the programme, he had to take his three children to HCM City, which was 30 kilometres away, to get vaccinated.

Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Hà, representative of VIB told Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper that in fact, the Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company would pay the interest rate of 2.15 per cent per month of credit card owners for the banks.

Hà said the programme brought benefits for all people and encouraged them to get vaccinated to prevent diseases and improve their health.

The Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company has five vaccination centres, including two in Hà Nội, two in HCM City and one in Đồng Nai Province. – VNS