Vietnam Health Ministry Builds Decree to Regulate Immunization

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health is working on a draft decree aimed at improving regulations over immunization activities, a move deemed necessary in the wake of rising demand for better public healthcare, the government said on its website July 20. The ministry said tighter regulations are needed as the economy has changed from centrally planned to a market mechanism, which gives citizens more access to a wider variety of vaccines and ensure vaccination quality in the near future. While the Law on Infection Diseases Prevention passed by the National Assembly in November 2007 outlines the use of vaccines and medical products, there needs to be a decree guiding the expanding coverage and sustainability of the expanded program on immunization (EPI) in Vietnam, the ministry noted. The EPI was launched in Vietnam in 1981 and reached an 87% national coverage rate of 87% in 1987. Supplying 12 kinds of life-saving vaccines free of charge to all Vietnamese children, the program has protected 6.7 million children and prevented 42,000 deaths of deadly childhood diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio. The draft decree, which is now seeking public opinions, seeks to ban five activities in immunization, namely (i) unlicensed vaccination, (ii) individuals with no or expired vaccination certificates, (iii) renting and leasing of vaccination training certificates, (iv) use of unlicensed or low quality vaccines, and (v) use of EPI vaccines for other purposes. The World Health Organization recently said Vietnam’s vaccine management has met international standards. As such, Vietnam is striving to raise the localization rate of vaccine production, aiming to make 5-in-1 and 6-in-1 vaccines in 2018-2020 to meet the domestic demand amid continuing vaccine shortage nationwide. The country needs about 200,000 doses of 6-in-1 vaccine a year and 100,000 doses of 5-in-1 vaccine a year. Given the current number of 19 million children, the lack of infant vaccines will affect the implementation of the national EPI. Vietnam eliminated wild polio in 2000 and neonatal tetanus in 2005. Infection and fatality rates of transmitted diseases for children like diphtheria, pertussis and measles have declined considerably compared to the situation in the 1980s. Demand for vaccines will be strong in the next few years given the complicated developments of tropical diseases. (baochinhphu.vn July 20)