Vietnam is expected to receive 40,000 doses of the five-in-one vaccine of Pentaxim by the end of this year, state media reported, noting that 15,000 doses from Sanofi Pasteur, a France’s firm, have arrived in the northern region. It is expected that the remainder of 25,000 doses will come to the south of the country on December 14-16, said the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biology (POLYVAC) under the Ministry of Health. Pentaxim vaccine is used for infants from six weeks of age against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis and invasive infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b. In addition, the representative office of UK-based GlaxoSmithKline Company informed that the company would supply around 49,000 doses of the six-in-one vaccine of Infarix Hexa to the Vietnamese market in 2016, said Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health. Previously, several of vaccination centers nationwide announced that they had to face with the shortage of the five-in-one and six-in-one vaccines due to the low supply from the vaccination firms. Meanwhile, though a national mandatory inoculation program which provides free vaccination for all children is being implemented, the program has failed to get trust from the public as there have been many accidental deaths after injections. (Saigon Giai Phong – Liberated Saigon Dec 15 p6, Giao Thong – Transport Dec 15 p10)
