Urgently seek all solutions to address the shortage of expanded immunization vaccines
(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of June 10, the Ministry of Health held an online meeting to discuss the purchase of vaccines for the expanded immunization program, HIV prevention drugs (ARV), tuberculosis drugs and Vitamin A.
Comrade Tran Hong Ha - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister chaired at the Hanoi end. At the Nghe An province online bridge, Comrade Nguyen Thi Hong Hoa - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Director of the Department of Health chaired.
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Scene of the online meeting at Nghe An bridge. Photo: Thanh Nga |
The report at the meeting stated: From 2023, the Ministry of Finance will not allocate the central budget for the Ministry of Health to purchase expanded immunization vaccines, Vitamin A for children under 5 years old, anti-HIV drugs (ARV), anti-tuberculosis drugs for those without health insurance cards... but proposes to implement according to the regulations on budget decentralization. Therefore, the Ministry of Health requests the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to allocate local budgets and other legally mobilized sources to implement the procurement and supply of the above-mentioned drugs and vaccines.
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Children must be vaccinated at the right age. Illustration photo |
Currently, the expanded immunization program in Vietnam uses 10 vaccines for children and 1 vaccine for pregnant women, 1 vaccine for health workers and from the fourth quarter of 2023, there will be an additional oral Rota vaccine for children under 1 year old.
To achieve community immunity and avoid epidemics due to lack of vaccines, it is extremely necessary to provide adequate, timely and systematic vaccines. According to the direction of the Ministry of Health, localities will organize their own bidding to purchase vaccines in the expanded immunization program, vitamin A for children under 5 years old and postpartum women, antiretroviral drugs (ARV) to treat HIV/AIDS patients, and tuberculosis drugs.
At the meeting, many opinions stated that the funding source for purchasing vaccines in the expanded immunization program has not clearly defined the responsibility of the central budget in ensuring funding for purchasing vaccines according to the roadmap. The bidding for purchasing vaccines in the expanded immunization program, vitamin A for children under 5 years old and postpartum women, antiretroviral drugs (ARV) for treating HIV/AIDS patients, and tuberculosis drugs are on the list of national centralized procurement. These items are not on the list of local centralized procurement, so localities cannot organize the procurement.
Currently, the country is still lacking two types of 5-in-1 vaccines: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and diseases caused by Hib bacteria) and nasal vaccines for diphtheria, whooping cough, and tetanus. However, many regulations on bidding and other regulations on drugs are still stuck, so drugs and vaccines cannot be available immediately.
- Protected the achievements of polio eradication, neonatal tetanus elimination, maintained full vaccination rate in children under 1 year old > 95%; pregnant women, women of childbearing age reached > 95%; The rate of malnutrition in underweight children under 5 years old decreased from 18.5% in 2016 to 15.7% in 2020; The rate of malnutrition in stunted children under 5 years old decreased from 28.6% in 2016 to 26.0% in 2020.
- Regularly focus on preventing and combating non-communicable diseases and school health. Control the rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the community and reduce the number of new infections; continue to expand community-based drug dispensing facilities, HIV-confirmation testing facilities, Methadone treatment facilities, and ARV treatment facilities.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested: In the face of the urgent situation of vaccine shortage, the Ministry of Health and related ministries, sectors and localities must have solutions to resolve the problem as soon as possible. The Ministry of Health needs to direct the responsible professional sectors and base on research to provide guidance during the time of vaccine shortage.
The entire health system needs to have solutions to respond promptly, and provide professional guidance to medical facilities to supplement medicines if diseases due to vaccine shortages occur in the area. Along with that, conferences must be organized to clearly communicate the importance of having enough and timely vaccines; and the national goal of ensuring people's health must be protected to the end.
