New points in regulations on vaccination activities

Accordingly, Decree 13/2024/ND-CP clearly states that the Expanded Immunization Program is a program organized by the State to provide free vaccination for mandatory vaccines used to prevent infectious diseases for children and pregnant women.

In addition, Decree 13/2024/ND-CP amends Clause 2 and Clause 3, Article 7 on vaccine supply for vaccination activities, specifically: Vaccines used for vaccination activities in the Expanded Immunization Program and epidemic vaccination are guaranteed by the State in terms of quantity and type suitable to annual needs and are reserved for 6 months;

Based on the number of vaccination subjects, time and usage norms of each type of vaccine, vaccination facilities are responsible for preparing an estimate of vaccine demand for the entire year and sending it to the agency assigned to manage vaccination at the district level, synthesizing it and sending it to the Department of Health before May 30 every year to direct the provision of vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program;

Based on the proposal on vaccine demand of the agency assigned to manage vaccination at the district level, the Department of Health is responsible for synthesizing, submitting to the Provincial People's Committee for approval of demand and sending to the Ministry of Health before June 30 every year to develop a plan for vaccine supply, use and annual vaccination.

In addition, Decree 13/2024/ND-CP also adds Clause 3, Article 14 on funding sources for vaccination activities. Accordingly, the vaccination budget is arranged in the regular expenditure budget of the Ministry of Health to ensure funding for the following activities in the Expanded Immunization Program:

First, purchase vaccines for subjects in the Expanded Immunization Program;

Second, vaccine testing;

Third, receiving, transporting, and preserving vaccines to provincial and municipal levels;

Fourth, information, education, communication, training costs, scientific research to apply new techniques and new methods in vaccination, monitoring and evaluating vaccine effectiveness at the Central level;

Fifth, compensation when vaccines cause adverse events that seriously affect the health or cause damage to the life of vaccinated people at vaccination facilities under ministries and central agencies.

In case of adverse events when using vaccines at local vaccination facilities, the cause is determined to be due to the quality of the vaccine, inherent characteristics of the vaccine, or errors in the preservation and transportation of the vaccine from the central level to the provincial or municipal level, the central budget will allocate funds for compensation./.