Nghe An proactively implements the Expanded Immunization Program in 2024
(Baonghean.vn) - In 2023, in Nghe An in particular and in localities across the country in general, there was a shortage of some types of vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program.
Nghe An Newspaper reporter had an interview with Dr. Nguyen Van Thuong - Deputy Director of the Department of Health about this issue.
PV:Could you tell us about the current shortage of some vaccines in 2023 in Nghe An in particular and the whole country in general? What is the cause?
Doctor, PhysicianNguyen Van Thuong:In the first months of 2023, there has been a shortage of some vaccines, specifically: 5-in-1 vaccine (SII), diphtheria - pertussis - tetanus (DPT) (in August 2023, there was a batch of 12,300 doses of SII vaccine distributed to localities). From October 2023 to now, most of the vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program have run out, there are only two vaccines left to be vaccinated: Japanese encephalitis and tetanus for pregnant women.
The reason for the vaccine shortage is: Vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program have been provided by the Ministry of Health to all localities nationwide. In the past, the vaccine supply situation was not guaranteed, not meeting the vaccination needs of the locality.
In the first quarter of 2023, the Ministry of Health assigned the People's Committees of the provinces to balance their budgets to purchase free vaccines for people. The Nghe An Department of Health has compiled an estimate of the number of vaccines and vaccination supplies needed in the last months of 2023 and the entire year of 2024; proposed and advised the Provincial People's Committee to purchase vaccines and vaccination supplies. However, the Central Government later realized that if the provinces were to purchase vaccines, there would be many problems, so the Government assigned the Ministry of Health to continue providing expanded vaccination vaccines to localities.
On June 24, 2023, the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 99/2023/QH15 on thematic supervision of the mobilization, management and use of resources for COVID-19 prevention and control; the implementation of policies and laws on grassroots health and preventive medicine. Accordingly, the central budget will be allocated to continue implementing the National Expanded Immunization Program to ensure consistency and effectiveness nationwide. On July 10, 2023, the Government issued Resolution No. 98/NQ-CP on the allocation of the central budget in 2023 to the Ministry of Health to purchase vaccines for the Expanded Immunization Program. Accordingly, the central budget will continue to implement vaccination to ensure vaccine supply.
Up to now, although localities have issued many documents proposing vaccine needs in the Expanded Immunization Program to the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, they have not yet been provided enough according to the needs, so the shortage continues to occur.
PV:Faced with such a vaccine shortage, what solutions has Nghe An's health sector had to respond?
Doctor, PhysicianNguyen Van Thuong:Faced with the nationwide vaccine shortage in general and Nghe An in particular, the Nghe An Department of Health has proactively deployed synchronous solutions to respond to the vaccine shortage in the province, specifically: It has directed the Nghe An Provincial Center for Disease Control and the Medical Centers of districts, cities and towns to strengthen communication and propaganda work for local people about the supply of vaccines in the coming time through the system of loudspeakers, television, and social networks to help people understand, agree and support the health sector in the current expanded vaccination activities, especially so that people can proactively choose the appropriate form of vaccination for the vaccination subjects.
From November 2022 to present, the Department of Health has directed the Provincial Center for Disease Control and localities to regularly and proactively review all vaccination subjects who have scheduled vaccination but had to postpone due to other reasons, and conduct additional vaccinations on 2 regular vaccination days in the month to complete the missing injections for subjects under the Expanded Immunization Program when receiving vaccines.
On the side of the Provincial Center for Disease Control, it has relied on the expiry date of the vaccine and proactively proposed the maximum number of vaccines that can be provided from the Central to the locality for vaccination implementation. In the context of running out of vaccines, the Provincial Center for Disease Control has issued many documents guiding the District Health Center/medical facilities with delivery rooms to guide and propagate people to qualified vaccination facilities to get vaccinated to ensure basic immunity... For the newborn hepatitis B vaccine, the Center has instructed medical facilities with delivery rooms to advise families to take their children to qualified vaccination facilities in the area for vaccination within 24 hours after birth to create active immunity.
Faced with the current shortage of vaccines, the Department of Health has also recommended that families can vaccinate their children with service vaccines instead of vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program. Currently, in Nghe An province, there are service vaccination systems inside and outside the state system that have a full range of vaccines to replace vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program, meeting the vaccination needs in the area. Service vaccination accounts for 25% - 45% of all types of vaccinations.
The service vaccination system in Nghe An includes: Provincial Center for Disease Control with 1 service vaccination room; 21/21 District Health Centers have registered to open service vaccination facilities, of which 17 districts deploy service vaccination that can replace expanded vaccination vaccines; 258/460 commune health stations deploy service vaccination (state system). In addition, there are 48 facilities in the private service vaccination room system.
PV:Can you tell us the specific results of the expanded vaccination program in Nghe An province in 2023?
Doctor, PhysicianNguyen Van Thuong:Over the past year, the Nghe An Health sector has organized regular vaccinations at 543 vaccination sites across the province for vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program and has 70 service vaccination sites that are always fully equipped with vaccines to perform vaccinations according to people's needs. The sector has reviewed subjects, organized catch-up vaccinations, catch-up vaccinations, and campaign vaccinations for areas with low vaccination rates or outbreaks of infectious diseases with vaccinations. Specifically, vaccination of polio vaccine (IPV), oral polio vaccine (bOPV) and measles-rubella (MR) vaccination for 11 high-risk districts; seasonal flu vaccination for health workers in 2023.
Estimated 12 months of 2023, the vaccination results of Nghe An province have 5/9 indicators reaching the assigned plan targets including: Tuberculosis vaccination rate reaching 90%; Hepatitis B vaccination rate for newborns reaching over 80%; UV2+ vaccination for pregnant women reaching 85%; Measles/Rubella reaching 95%; Japanese encephalitis B doses 1, 2, 3 reaching 90%... There are 4/9 remaining indicators that do not meet the set plan targets: Full vaccination decreased by 15%; diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccination dose 4 for 18-month-old children decreased by 30%; measles vaccination for 9-month-old children decreased by 15% and full polio vaccination decreased by 10% due to lack of vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program.
PV: In 2024, what is the forecast for the vaccine situation? What recommendations do you have for people to participate in vaccination?
Doctor, PhysicianNguyen Van Thuong: According to the announcement of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology: On December 15, 2023, the Expanded Immunization Program received 490,600 doses of 5-in-1 vaccine (DPT-VGB-Hib) to be deployed in routine vaccination in the first months of 2024, supported by the Australian Government, and expected to be provided to localities in the second week of January 2024.
Nghe An Department of Health will direct localities to review the number of subjects and implement vaccination as soon as they receive the vaccine according to the principle: Prioritize children ≥ 2 months who have not received the first dose of DPT-VGB-Hib vaccine, including children > 12 months (priority first for the youngest age group); re-vaccinate the second and third doses for children who have not received all 3 doses of DPT-VGB-Hib vaccine, including children over 12 months.
Regarding other vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program, there is currently no official information from the Ministry of Health about the supply to localities in the coming time... With such a situation, Nghe An Department of Health will continue to strengthen the direction of planning, investigation, review, statistics, synthesis of reports and good management of vaccination subjects (both subjects using expanded vaccination and service vaccination). Enhance the role, responsibility, direction and participation of local authorities. Responsibility of heads of vaccination facilities in completing assigned planning targets. Balance and arrange funding sources from local budgets to ensure meeting vaccination activities in the locality; vaccine sources and vaccination supplies are guaranteed by the central budget.
The Department of Health will also strengthen inspection, supervision, support and evaluation of vaccination targets of each unit to immediately overcome existing problems and urge the achievement of vaccination targets; apply information technology to vaccination activities, especially maintaining the National Information Management System in vaccination management; strengthen management and preservation of vaccines at all levels to ensure vaccine quality, effective use and safe vaccination implementation.
It should be added that: While waiting for the supply of some vaccines that are missing in the expanded immunization, the commune, ward and town health stations in the province still organize regular vaccinations according to the schedule for the supplied vaccines. Vaccination facilities in the province regularly review the vaccination subjects and notify the parents of children who need to catch up on vaccinations to bring their children in for vaccination as soon as possible when the vaccines are supplied again. The Provincial Center for Disease Control will promptly seek advice from the Ministry of Health on catch-up vaccinations and catch-up vaccinations for children who are late for vaccination.
The Health sector recommends: Currently, some children of vaccination age have not been vaccinated, have not been fully vaccinated or have been vaccinated late, putting them at high risk of contracting infectious diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough... due to lack of protective antibodies. Therefore, in order to limit the risk of contracting infectious diseases, parents need to proactively implement infection prevention measures for children such as: Avoid direct contact with sources of infection, sick people must be isolated; if necessary, avoid close contact; personal hygiene, eating and drinking, always keep the body warm in cold weather, rain...; improve nutrition to ensure the best health for children.
For families with conditions, parents can take their children to vaccination service points that provide vaccinations throughout the province to receive consultation, examination, classification and vaccinations appropriate to their age.
PV: Thank you!