Ministry of Health proposes to include pneumococcal vaccine in the Immunization Program

The Ministry of Health is drafting a Circular amending and supplementing Circular No. 10/2024/TT-BYT dated June 13, 2024 of the Ministry of Health promulgating the list of infectious diseases, subjects and scope of mandatory use of vaccines and medical biological products.

Accordingly, in the draft, the Ministry of Health proposed to add regulation number 12 - pneumococcal disease in the List of infectious diseases, subjects required to use vaccines and vaccination schedule in the Expanded Immunization Program.

According to Circular No. 10/2024/TT-BYT, there are 11 infectious diseases that require vaccination, including:

1- Hepatitis B virus;

2- Tuberculosis;

3- Diphtheria;

4- Whooping cough;

5- Tetanus;

6- Polio;

7- Disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b;

8- Measles;

9- Japanese encephalitis B;

10- Rubella;

11- Diarrhea caused by Rota virus.

According to the draft, vaccines are on the List of infectious diseases, subjects required to use vaccines and vaccination schedules in the Expanded Immunization Program are deployed nationwide for children and pregnant women in the Expanded Immunization Program.

For pneumococcal vaccines, the scope of implementation is under the direction of the Ministry of Health based on Resolution No. 104/NQ-CP dated August 15, 2022 of the Government on the roadmap to increase the number of vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program for the period 2021-2030; central and local resources.

Regarding the roadmap to increase the number of vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program for the period 2021-2030, according to Resolution No. 104/NQ-CP dated August 15, 2022 of the Government, introducing vaccines against Rotavirus disease from 2022, vaccines against pneumococcal disease from 2025, vaccines against cervical cancer from 2026 and vaccines against seasonal flu from 2030...