Rectifying vaccination activities nationwide.

To rectify and enhance vaccination safety, ensuring the rights of citizens to proactively prevent diseases as stipulated in the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, the Ministry of Health has issued urgent document No. 4619/BYT-DP to the Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities regarding strengthening inspection and supervision of the implementation of regulations on vaccine use.

Vaccine testing. (Source: VNA)

Recently, several cases of adverse reactions following the administration of the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns occurred in Quang Tri province. The Ministry of Health dispatched an inspection team and discovered several shortcomings in the implementation of professional regulations.

On the other hand, after inspecting and checking several localities regarding the implementation of vaccination work, the Ministry of Health found that some localities had not seriously implemented the regulations and guidelines of the Ministry of Health on expanded immunization work in the management of vaccines, medical biological products, and training of staff carrying out vaccination work.

The Ministry of Health requests that the Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities direct and organize the implementation of vaccination work in their areas, ensuring safety in accordance with regulations; paying particular attention to providing full counseling to families or individuals being vaccinated about the effects, benefits, and potential risks of vaccination.

Each routine vaccination session should not exceed 50 children; multiple vaccination days can be scheduled each month if the number of children to be vaccinated is high; each vaccination session must have qualified medical staff to conduct pre-vaccination screening to rule out contraindications.

Local authorities should prepare sufficient personnel, medicines, medical equipment, and other necessary resources to promptly handle any post-vaccination reactions; monitor children after vaccination, instruct family members on how to monitor children at home, and bring children to medical facilities if any unusual symptoms appear after vaccination.

The Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and cities shall direct a comprehensive inspection of vaccination work; suspend operations and strictly handle units if violations are found.

In the event of adverse events, relevant agencies must be promptly directed to handle the situation, determine the cause, and publicly announce the cause; conduct a review to clarify the responsibility of individuals who violated regulations and those involved, and handle them according to regulations; increase investment in equipment for vaccination work, especially cold chain and other equipment used in vaccination.

Provinces and cities are directing their health departments and preventive health centers to organize training and issue certificates of participation in vaccination safety training for healthcare workers both within and outside the expanded immunization program; relevant units are organizing propaganda and education about the benefits of vaccination and the potential risks to reassure and build trust in the expanded immunization program among the public.

According to VNA - LT