UNICEF Delivers 185,000 Doses of 5-in-1 Vaccine to Vietnam

A batch of the 5-in-1 vaccine, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), arrived in Hanoi on July 27, as reported by VNA.

The batch consists of 185,700 doses of the DTP-VGB-Hib vaccine, urgently provided to the Ministry of Health in Vietnam to address a reduction in immunization rates and a shortage of the 5-in-1 vaccine.

The vaccines have been urgently provided to address low vaccination rates and a shortage of the five-in-one vaccine in Vietnam. Source: UNICEF Vietnam

The 5-in-1 vaccine helps protect children against diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus Influenzae type B (Hib). It needs to be purchased from approved international suppliers.

Routine immunization services in Vietnam, like in other countries around the world, have been disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, approximately 114,000 children under one year old in Vietnam have missed vaccinations for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis in 2022. These vaccinations are used as indicators of global immunization coverage.

Additionally, due to the recent shortage of the 5-in-1 vaccine, an estimated 300,000 Vietnamese children born at the beginning of 2023 have yet to receive this vital vaccine.

UNICEF Representative in Vietnam, Rana Flowers, stated that UNICEF and WHO are proud to support efforts to urgently address missed immunizations throughout Vietnam. They are also aiding in the restoration of immunization services to pre-pandemic levels.

WHO Representative in Vietnam, Angela Pratt, affirmed that WHO will continue to collaborate with UNICEF and other partners to support the Vietnamese Government in ensuring that all children in every corner of the country receive complete and timely immunizations.

Pratt added, “We need to do everything we can to make sure every child who has missed out on a vaccine since the start of the pandemic is caught up. This will require both ongoing, targeted catch-up campaigns as well as efforts to strengthen the system overall. WHO will continue to work with UNICEF and other partners to support the Government of Vietnam to ensure that every child in every corner of the country receives all of their routine immunizations, now and in the future.”

Hannah Nguyen

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