“By all means, there must be enough vaccines for children soon”, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested at a meeting with a number of ministries, branches and localities on purchasing vaccines for the vaccination program. expanded vaccination, on the morning of June 10, at the Government headquarters.
Propose and discuss plans for implementing the expanded vaccination program
Reporting at the meeting, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that in recent times, implementing the Expanded Program on Immunization , the Ministry of Health was assigned to purchase vaccines and distribute them to localities according to Decision No. 1125. /QD-TTg on the Health-Population target program for the period 2016-2020 (Decision 1125).
From 2020, contents related to the implementation of the Target Program must be integrated into the expenditure content of national target programs or other regular expenditure programs.
To avoid a sudden transition when the health-population target program ends, in 2021, the National Assembly issued Decision 129/2020/QH14 on central budget allocation in 2021.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Health is assigned to estimate from the central budget to carry out procurement to supply vaccines for expanded vaccination and a number of other drugs such as ARV, vitamin A… to ensure enough for 2021 and 2022.
To deploy in 2023, the Ministry of Health wants to continue to carry out the purchase of expanded vaccination vaccines because this is an effective program, demonstrating social security for children and women.
At the meeting, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that many localities encountered difficulties and obstacles when purchasing vaccines in the expanded vaccination program in terms of price consultation, bidding and ordering mechanisms. vaccine quality testing… Localities request the Ministry of Health to conduct centralized bidding, place orders or negotiate prices for vaccines in the expanded vaccination program.
In recent times, the Ministry of Health has worked with a number of ministries, branches and localities to propose and exchange plans for centralized procurement, bidding, price negotiation, ordering, and implementation of… vaccines. and some medications.
Information about the current vaccine situation, Deputy Director in charge of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology Duong Thi Hong said that currently, nationwide, 9/11 types of vaccines in the National Expanded Immunization Program are still sufficient or lacking. 2 5-in-1 vaccines (to prevent hepatitis B, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and pneumonia, meningitis caused by Hib bacteria), 3-in-1 vaccine (to prevent diphtheria, whooping cough, and tetanus).
Ms. Duong Thi Hong proposed that for imported 5-in-1 vaccines, price negotiations should be carried out as soon as possible.
Search for additional vaccine sources for the expanded vaccination program
Speaking online from the Ho Chi Minh City bridge, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Nguyen Anh Dung raised difficulties related to legal issues. Accordingly, the vaccines in the Expanded Program on Immunization are on the list of drugs for centralized national-level bidding, so localities do not have a mechanism to conduct self-bidding.
Mr. Nguyen Anh Dung said that if localities are allowed to bid on their own, the time of vaccine availability will be different, and people may take their children from one locality to another to get vaccinated, affecting the planning ability of localities. localities. This shift will affect the shaping and planning of vaccination.
“The most feasible option is for the Central Government to allocate budget for the Ministry of Health to bid and allocate vaccines. Accordingly, it will only take 1-2 months to have a vaccine, meeting demand and solving the current situation,” he said. Nguyen Anh Dung expressed.
Similarly, Director of the Hanoi Department of Health Tran Thi Nhi Ha said that up to now, the city has run out of some vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program.
“The locality does not lack funds, is not afraid of responsibility, but is lacking a procurement mechanism,” Ms. Tran Thi Nhi Ha said and recommended continuing to implement the mechanism of the Ministry of Health to centrally procure and bid for vaccines and distribute vaccines. allocation and coordination for localities.
The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Minister of Health and directors of Health Departments to uphold the sense of responsibility, propose feasible solutions, and remove difficulties and obstacles in bidding and procurement regulations. , ordering, negotiating prices… By all means, we must have vaccines and vaccinate children as soon as possible.
The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs work with manufacturers, international organizations, and a number of countries to find additional vaccine sources for the expanded vaccination program.
The Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Health to immediately issue disease prevention instructions, diagnosis and treatment regimens for infected children in cases where they have not been vaccinated on schedule.
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