A child being vaccinated at Phong Phú Commune Health Station in Bình Chánh District, HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Hằng

HCM CITY — A total of 13,000 doses of 5-in-1 vaccine from the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation has reached HCM City, the city’s Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) announced on Monday.

The vaccine is used to prevent diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) and has witnessed a nationwide shortage in recent months due to procurement issues.

The vaccine doses have been distributed to the 22 medical centres of the city’s districts and Thủ Đức City. Ward and town-level health stations are also planning vaccination schedules for children of eligible age.

To protect children from dangerous infectious diseases, the Ministry of Health recommends that the 5-in-1 vaccine be administered three times when the child is 2 months, 3 months and 4 months old.

If the child has already passed these milestones, they need to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

Since May 2022, HCM City and multiple localities across the country have reported a shortage of several vaccines in the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation due to supply chain disruptions following the pandemic.

Việt Nam’s infectious disease monitoring system has recorded multiple cases of child patients in 2024 infected with whooping cough and measles, which are preventable with vaccination.

In March this year, HCM City recorded nine cases of whooping cough. The HCDC emphasises the importance of vaccination in developing a child’s immunity, and recommends that parents and families follow the vaccination schedule for their children and make sure that they receive sufficient doses on time.

The 5-in-1 vaccine and many other in the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation are being offered free of charge for children of eligible age at all ward and town-level health stations across HCM City. — VNS