Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Vietnam already manufactures11 out of 12 vaccines used in the nationwide expanded free immunisationprogramme for children, including vaccines against tuberculosis, diphtheria,whooping cough, tetanus, measles, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, Japanesemeningitis B, cholera, typhoid and rubella.
In November 2016,Vietnam announced the successful production of a measles-rubella vaccine (MR)for the first time.
Vietnam is one of only25 countries in the world that can produce vaccines and is the fourth in Asiato manufacture the MR vaccine, following Japan, India, and China, the Nhan Dan(People) weekly reported.
This is the first vaccinethat has been produced in Vietnam by the health ministry’s Centre for Researchand Production of Vaccines and Biology (POLYVAC) under a technology-transferproject launched by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).
In 2015, the WHOcertified that Vietnam has a fully-equipped national regulatory authority (NRA)system that ensures the safety and efficacy of vaccines produced and used inVietnam.
Deputy Health MinisterNguyen Thanh Long said the NRA achievement would open up opportunities for Vietnamto export vaccines and contribute in the fight against global epidemics.
In a recent NRAassessment, the WHO said that four of Vietnam’s vaccines ─ Japanese Bencephalitis, measles, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B ─ can apply for WHOpre-appraisal before being sold in bulk to international organisations.
Local vaccinemanufacturing facilities can currently supply enough doses for both domesticneeds and export demand.
In recent years, theCompany for Vaccine and Biological Production No.1 (VABIOTECH) has exportedover three million doses of Japanese B encephalitis vaccine to India. Japaneseencephalitis vaccines are also penetrating the market of East Timor. Inaddition, 32,000 doses of hepatitis A vaccine have been exported to theRepublic of Korea and 115,000 doses of oral cholera vaccine to Sri Lanka, thePhilippines and India.
Vietnam currently hasfour factories producing vaccines, using equipment and technology that meetsCGMP-WHO standards: VABIOTECH; Pasteur Da Lat Vaccine Company (DAVAC); POLYVAC;and the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC).
However, challengesremain ahead for the vaccine production. Việt Nam is able to produce onlysingle vaccines or certain types of material for mixed vaccines (multi-functionvaccines that have from four to six vaccines in one dose).
In 2019, Việt Nam willno longer receive support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization(GAVI) in regard to the five-in-one vaccine that protects people fromdiphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, and Hib disease.
The health sector ismaking efforts to produce five-in-one and six-in-one vaccines but is stillencountering difficulties relating to technology and capital.
Deputy Minister Longsaid the research and production of five-in-one and six-in-one vaccines wasamong the top priorities of the country, and urged the supply of improvedtechnology to produce such vaccines.-VNA
