Vietnam’s Ministry of Health is considering adding three new vaccines to prevent bacterial pneumonia and rotavirus-inspired diarrhea in young children and HPV-related cervical cancers in girls to the government’s subsidized national program. The Global Alliance of Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) has agreed to cover the cost during the first several years before letting the government pay for the vaccines, said Nguyen Tran Hien, chairman of the National Expanded Program For Immunization (EPI).
As a result, the number of free-of-charge vaccines in the program will increase to 14, Mr. Hien said. The to-be-added vaccines are very expensive, with the HPV vaccine alone costing nearly $80 per shot, and target viruses with high infection rates.
The program will target pneumonia caused by streptococcus pneumonia, or pneumococcus, a human pathogenic bacterium.
“Up to 56% of children hospitalized for viral diarrhea in Vietnam are infected with rotavirus, and pneumonia is a leading cause of deaths among children, with pneumococcus a prime cause of the disease. Vaccines for HPV can prevent a number of sexually transmitted diseases.”
He said the three vaccines are considered effective and GAVI, a public-private alliance, are helping poor countries put them into common use. The assisted countries are those with an average income of up to $1,500.
GAVI will sponsor a program to administer the measles-rubella shot for 23 million children between one and 14 years old this September.
Vietnam produces 10 out of 11 vaccines currently given to children. There are now nearly 30 infectious diseases globally which are preventable with vaccines. (Thanh Nien – Young People Jun 18, Vietnam News Jun 19 p3)
