The EPI, launched in 1985, is providing immunisation to more than 10 vaccine preventable diseases. (Photo: VNA) Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong noted that theEPI, launched in 1985, is providing immunisation to more than 10 vaccinepreventable diseases.
Over the past time, the ministry has drasticallydirected agencies and localities, and coordinated with relevant ministries and agenciesto step up activities to ensure vaccines for the programme, she added.
For the 10 types of vaccines that can be produceddomestically, the ministry has reviewed legal regulations and make purchaseorders, she said, adding that a specific price plan is expected to be completedwithin this month.
The ministry has also assigned the National Instituteof Hygiene and Epidemiology to sign contracts with vaccine producers and distributevaccines to localities, according to the official.
For the 5-in-1 vaccine that must be imported, the ministryhas assigned the institute to carry out procurement in the form of opendomestic bidding in line with the Bidding Law.
While waiting for the procurement procedures to becompleted, it sought vaccine donations from both international and domesticorganisations, she said, noting that in late August, with the funding from theWorld Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)and other organisations, 258,000 doses of the vaccine arrived in Vietnam, andhave been allocated to localities.
The Australian government will provide Vietnamwith 490,600 doses of such vaccine, and they are scheduled to arrive in theSoutheast Asian nation this month, the official continued.
Apart from instructing relevant units to promptly setout vaccine supply plans for 2024, the ministry is coordinating with ministriesand agencies in amending the Government’s Decree No. 104/2016/ND-CP dated July1, 2016 regulating vaccination activities, allowing the central budget to beearmarked to vaccine purchase in service of the EPI, Huong said./.
VNA
