WHO, UNICEF to ensure 5-in-1 vaccine supply for Vietnam
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have agreed to ensure vaccine supply to support Vietnam’s expanded vaccination programme, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan has said.
Hanoi (VNA) – The World Health Organisation(WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have agreed to ensure vaccine supply to support Vietnam’s expanded vaccination programme, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan has said.
Talking to the press on June 14, Lan referred to the vaccine shortage forthe programme, saying that the situation may increase the risk of diseaseoutbreaks.
The vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) for booster shots for children aged 18-24 months is currently out of stock, but DPT vaccine producers have affirmed their readinessto supply this vaccine immediately to Vietnam once a decision on procurementand bidding has been made, she said.
Among vaccines for the expanded immunisation programme,the imported vaccine in shortage for several months is the 5-in-1vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and haemophilusinfluenzae type b (Hib).
Sheattributed the situation to the lack of state budget allocated to theMinistry of Health for procurement, bidding, and negotiations of vaccine prices.
Over200,000 doses of the 5-in-1 vaccine pledged by WHOand UNICEF, along with over 65,000 doses from domestic donors, are expectedto ensure a sufficient number of vaccines for the programme, Lan said.
These supplies will be prioritised for the immunisation for children in remoteand difficult areas where they find it difficult to access to vaccination services, shenoted.
The MoH has worked with the supervision delegation of the NationalAssembly (NA) StandingCommittee on the need for continued allocationof state budget to enable the ministry to effectively implement the expandedvaccination programme nationwide, Lan stressed.
Withthe support of WHO and UNICEF, the expanded vaccination programme has beenapplied in Vietnam since 1981./.
The Government of Vietnam is making efforts to get the routine immunisation for children back on track, Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative to Vietnam, said on July 19.
Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Catherine Russell on November 29 said that UNICEF will stand side by side with Vietnam in supporting children, especially those living in ethnic-inhabited and remote areas, to ensure no one is left behind.
Miss World Vietnam 2019 Luong Thuy Linh has joined a campaign in response to the “Fix My Food” initiative by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) aiming to promote healthier food environments for children in East Asia and the Pacific.
A total of 67 million children around the world, including nearly 250,000 in Vietnam, missed out on vaccinations between 2019 and 2021, with vaccination coverage levels decreasing in 112 countries, UNICEF warned on April 20 in a new report on immunisation.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
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Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
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An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
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The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
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The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
Illustrative image (Photo: sggp.org.vn) 
