The Expanded Immunisation Programme in Vietnam, which was launched in1985, has helped prevent between 2-3 million deaths each year fromdangerous communicable diseases, said the programme’s Director Prof. DrNguyen Tran Hien.
He said hundreds of millionsof children across the country have received free vaccines againsttuberculosis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles,Japanese encephalitis and hepatitis B through large-scale nationalvaccine programmes over the past 30 years.
Lastyear, Vietnam had remained poliomyelitis- and tetanus-free for 14and 9 years, respectively, despite the continued threat of wildpoliovirus import from other places in South Asia and Africa, such asPakistan , Afghanistan , Somalia , Nigeria .
Prof. Dr Nguyen Tran Hien reported that around 50 million vaccinationdoses were administered safely last year under the free immunisationprogrammes at more than 11,100 communes and wards nationwide. At thesame time, Vietnam has been able to produce 10 out of 12 types ofvaccines used for the programme.
WHO expertsrecently announced that the Vietnamese vaccine safety surveillanceprogramme meets WHO requirements, evidence of the quality of domesticvaccines and creating opportunities for export, he affirmed.
Professor Dr Dang Duc Anh, Director of the National Institute ofHygiene and Epidemiology under the Ministry of Health under the Ministryof Health (MoH) affirmed that vaccines are safe and effective inprotecting infants and children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
According to the Institute, the global goals to eliminate infectiousdiseases include eliminating poliomyelitis by 2018, measles by 2020and bringing the hepatitis B-infection rate in under-five children tobelow one percent in the West Pacific Ocean Region by 2017.
Meanwhile, Director of the Ministry’s Department of PreventiveMedicine Tran Dac Phu said the expanded immunisation programme is facingsome major challenges, including the high risk of diseases enteringVietnam, a shortage of budget and service quality in remote areas.-VNA
He said hundreds of millionsof children across the country have received free vaccines againsttuberculosis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles,Japanese encephalitis and hepatitis B through large-scale nationalvaccine programmes over the past 30 years.
Lastyear, Vietnam had remained poliomyelitis- and tetanus-free for 14and 9 years, respectively, despite the continued threat of wildpoliovirus import from other places in South Asia and Africa, such asPakistan , Afghanistan , Somalia , Nigeria .
Prof. Dr Nguyen Tran Hien reported that around 50 million vaccinationdoses were administered safely last year under the free immunisationprogrammes at more than 11,100 communes and wards nationwide. At thesame time, Vietnam has been able to produce 10 out of 12 types ofvaccines used for the programme.
WHO expertsrecently announced that the Vietnamese vaccine safety surveillanceprogramme meets WHO requirements, evidence of the quality of domesticvaccines and creating opportunities for export, he affirmed.
Professor Dr Dang Duc Anh, Director of the National Institute ofHygiene and Epidemiology under the Ministry of Health under the Ministryof Health (MoH) affirmed that vaccines are safe and effective inprotecting infants and children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
According to the Institute, the global goals to eliminate infectiousdiseases include eliminating poliomyelitis by 2018, measles by 2020and bringing the hepatitis B-infection rate in under-five children tobelow one percent in the West Pacific Ocean Region by 2017.
Meanwhile, Director of the Ministry’s Department of PreventiveMedicine Tran Dac Phu said the expanded immunisation programme is facingsome major challenges, including the high risk of diseases enteringVietnam, a shortage of budget and service quality in remote areas.-VNA
