Vietnam to Use ComBE Five Vaccine in Expanded Immunization Program in Dec

Vietnam will use Indian-made ComBE Five vaccine in the national expanded immunization program by the end of this month, which will replace South Korean-made Quinvaxem, according to the National Institute of Hygiene Epidemiology, under the Ministry of Health. There are 550,000 doses of ComBE Five vaccine available for the national expanded immunization program, which will be allocated to medical centers nationwide by the end of this month, said Mr. Dang Duc Anh, director of the institute. The program will receive more vaccines by January 2019 to meet the demand of 450,000 doses every month, Mr. Duc Anh added. The five-in-one ComBE Five vaccine, produced by India-based Biological E. Ltd., protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and hemophilic influenza type B (Hib). ComBE Five has received a pre-qualification approval from the World Health Organization. In May 2017, the vaccine got a circulation license from Vietnam’s Ministry of Health. Since October this year, ComBE Five vaccine has been administered to more than 17,300 children in the provinces of Ha Nam, Bac Giang, Yen Bai, Kon Tum, Dong Thap, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. The national expanded immunization project targets that ComBE Five vaccine will cover at least 95% of children in the country. (VTV, baochinhphu.vn, tuoitre.vn, laodong.vn, qdnd.vn, vietnamplus.vn, vietnamnews.vn)