Viet Nam News
05/26/2010
Babies under 12 months will receive a new combined diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza type B vaccine under the National Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) as of June 2010.
“The five in one vaccine, donated by the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI) through the United Nation Fund for Children (UNICEF), will be given free of charge to about 1.5 million of Vietnamese children, with each baby receiving three doses,” said Director of EPI Nguyen Tran Hien to Viet Nam News.
“With the new vaccine, children will only have to receive one shot instead of three previous injections to protect them against five diseases. This will reduce costs, time and human resources as previously the babies would have had nine injections over three months, which with this new treatment will be reduced to three over three months,” explained Hien.
The haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine is the 11th vaccine added to the regular vaccine provided free of charge by the EPI for all children across the country.
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