The new 5-in-1 vaccine is free for children.

Professor Dang Duc Anh, Director of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said that a small-scale vaccination campaign of the new 5-in-1 vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, and pneumonia/meningitis caused by Hib bacteria, is expected to begin in May.

This vaccine has been pre-qualified for safety by the World Health Organization and has a composition equivalent to Quinvaxem (which has been discontinued) and ComBeFive (currently in circulation). The Serum Institute of India is also the company that manufactured and supplied the measles-rubella vaccine to Vietnam during the 2014 measles outbreak.

"The introduction of an additional 5-in-1 vaccine aims to ensure vaccine security and proactively manage the supply for immunization," Mr. Duc Anh said.

The new vaccine is expected to be piloted in May in 5 provinces and cities across 4 geographical regions, with 2 provinces in the North. After the small-scale rollout, the Ministry of Health will conduct an evaluation and roll out mass vaccination at the end of 2019.

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

According to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, nearly one million doses of the ComBe Five vaccine had been administered to children by mid-April. On average, an additional 150,000 children receive free vaccinations each month, with a rate of severe post-vaccination reactions of approximately 0.05%.

Each year, approximately 1.7 million children in Vietnam need to receive all three doses of the 5-in-1 vaccine to protect against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, and pneumonia/meningitis caused by Hib bacteria, equivalent to 5.1 million doses of the 5-in-1 vaccine.