Hanoi (VNA) — The World Health Organisation (WHO) has donated 9,000 doses of human rabies vaccine to Vietnam's northern provinces of Phu Tho and Tuyen Quang — areas considered at high risk — to help save the lives of people bitten by rabid dogs and protect vulnerable communities, particularly children and ethnic minorities.
The post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) vaccines, valued at 100,000 USD, were delivered to the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in the two provinces through coordination with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), the Ministry of Health, and local authorities. The donation was made possible with financial support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
“This donation is more than a delivery of vaccines — it is a call to action. No one should die from rabies because they cannot afford the vaccine. We encourage the authorities to make PEP available and accessible to all, especially the poorest and most vulnerable,” said Dr Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Vietnam.
“To end rabies deaths, dog vaccination — the most cost-effective strategy to stop transmission at its source — must be accessible, affordable and enforced nationwide. We urge stronger intersectoral collaboration, across human health, animal health and environmental sectors, to eliminate rabies through a One Health approach,” she continued.
Human rabies vaccines are not covered by social health insurance and cost around 1.5 million VND (56.97 USD) for a full five-dose course.
According to the WHO, once the virus infects the central nervous system and clinical symptoms appear, rabies is fatal in 100% of cases. However, rabies deaths are preventable with prompt post exposure prophylaxis by stopping the virus from reaching the central nervous system.
To effectively prevent and control the disease, on December 21, 2021, the Prime Minister issued a decision approving the National Programme on Rabies Prevention and Control for the 2022–2030 period, aiming to eliminate human deaths from the disease by 2030.
Despite ongoing efforts, rabies-related deaths continue — with 82 fatalities recorded in 2023, 89 in 2024, and 58 in the first nine months of 2025.
The Ministry of Health emphasises that early preventive treatment is crucial to avoiding death. People bitten or scratched by animals should immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap under running water for at least 15 minutes, disinfect it with alcohol or iodine, and seek rabies vaccination as soon as possible.
The ministry also urges the public to protect themselves from animal bites and to practise responsible pet ownership by vaccinating dogs and cats, avoiding teasing or provoking animals, and ensuring pets are properly managed to prevent harm to others./.
PM requests strict rabies prevention and control
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has told localities to establish task forces directly responsible for inspecting and urging localities with low rabies vaccination rates for dogs and cats and areas with many deaths due to rabies to expand the vaccine coverage.
