There will be about 2.8 million more doses of 5-in-1 vaccine

This week, along with Ho Chi Minh City, Tuyen Quang and many other localities have begun to deploy the 5-in-1 vaccine and other vaccines in the expanded immunization program for children.

However, many people are still worried about the interruption of the vaccine supply for the upcoming 2nd and 3rd doses. Sharing about this issue, Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Thi Hong, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Head of the National Expanded Immunization Office, said that to stabilize the supply of 5-in-1 vaccine for the Expanded Immunization Program nationwide, the unit was assigned to purchase about 2.8 million additional doses of 5-in-1 vaccine.

The Ministry of Health has assigned the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology to organize a procurement bid for the next supply period, and the institute's functional departments are actively conducting it.

“Normally, it takes 3-5 months from the time of ordering to receiving the vaccine, but this time it is expected that the vaccine can be supplied and distributed in March-April. This amount of vaccine meets 100% of the demand, at least for 6 months of 2024. We will supply and distribute it as soon as more vaccines are available, so parents do not have to worry about their children having to miss the second and third doses,” Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Thi Hong informed.

In addition to the 5-in-1 vaccine, there are 10 other types of vaccines used in the Expanded Immunization Program ordered from domestic manufacturers. Since January 3, they have been allocated and delivered to the Pasteur Institute, the Institute of Epidemiology, and the region by road and air.

Specifically, there are more than 1.55 million doses of tuberculosis vaccine (BCG); 1 million doses of hepatitis B vaccine; 4.98 million doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV); 1.9 million doses of measles vaccine; 1.7 million doses of measles-rubella vaccine; 1.4 million doses of Japanese encephalitis vaccine; 1.53 million doses of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) combination vaccine; 1.47 million doses of tetanus vaccine and 1.37 million doses of tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine. The quantity of these 9 vaccines is enough to vaccinate children who have not been vaccinated in 2023 and children who are scheduled for vaccination in the first 6 months of 2024, said a representative of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

"The quantity of these 9 vaccines is enough to vaccinate children who have not been vaccinated in 2023 and children who are scheduled for vaccination in the first 6 months of 2024," said Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology Duong Thi Hong.

Particularly, 549,164 doses of Rota vaccine to prevent acute diarrhea is a new vaccine that will be included in the Expanded Immunization Program to vaccinate children under 1 year old, expected to be deployed from the second quarter of this year.