According to the administration, eight combined vaccines are allowed to circulate in the country including vaccine Adacel of Canada, vaccine Tetraxim and Hexaxim of France, ComBE Five of India, and vaccine Infanrix Hexa of Belgium that protects against three potentially life-threatening bacterial diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough).
The administration said vaccine in the National Expanded Immunization Program is also enough as per reports of suppliers.
To answer the concern of shortage of vaccine Quinvaxem while no replacing vaccine in the program resulting in a pause, head of the Preventive Medicine Department Professor Tran Dac Phu said that the health sector has imported 290,000 dozes of vaccine ComBe Five to replace the old one.
Vaccine ComBe Five is being used in some localities in the northern provinces of Ha Nam, Bac Giang and the central province of Binh Dinh. Before, in June, 2018, the Ministry bought three batches of Indian vaccine which failed to meet standard through testing; accordingly, they could not be used.
Medical workers warned parents to continue awaiting for the vaccine in the national immunization program or use paid vaccine.
In October, vaccine ComBe Five was injected on kids in seven cities and provinces before it would be used across the country.
