New 5-in-1 vaccine is free for children

Professor Dang Duc Anh, Director of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said that in May, a small-scale injection of the new 5-in-1 vaccine is expected to be carried out to prevent diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B, and pneumonia/meningitis caused by Hib bacteria.

This vaccine has been pre-qualified by the World Health Organization for safety, and its ingredients are equivalent to Quinvaxem (discontinued) and ComBeFive (currently in circulation). The Serum Institute of India is also the company that produced and supplied the measles-rubella vaccine to Vietnam during the 2014 measles epidemic.

"Adding a 5-in-1 vaccine aims to ensure vaccine security and proactively provide supplies for vaccination," said Mr. Duc Anh.

It is expected that in May, the new vaccine will be piloted in 5 provinces and cities in 4 geographical areas, with 2 provinces in the North. After small-scale implementation, the Ministry of Health will conduct an evaluation and mass vaccination at the end of 2019.

The 5-in-1 vaccine against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B and Hib has been used in Vietnam for about 10 years, initially as Quinvaxem vaccine. At the end of 2018, Quinvaxem was replaced by ComBE Five.

The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology said that by mid-April, nearly one million doses of ComBe Five had been given to children. On average, 150,000 more children were vaccinated for free each month, with the rate of severe reactions after vaccination being about 0.05%.

Every year, about 1.7 million children in Vietnam need to be fully vaccinated with 3 doses of the 5-in-1 vaccine to prevent diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B and pneumonia/meningitis caused by Hib bacteria, equivalent to 5.1 million doses of the 5-in-1 vaccine.

Le Nga