(Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – The under the
has asked and
importers to ensure stockpiles are built up to meet increasing demand.
According to rabies vaccine importing facilities, the country needs about 1.2
million doses of the rabies vaccine until the end of this year to address the
vaccine shortage.
The administration has ordered vaccination facilities to keep enough of the
vaccine in the stock to meet demand for at least one month.
The health ministry has asked for detailed contracts between vaccine suppliers
and vaccination facilities. The contract must mention quantity, price of each
vaccine type and date of vaccine arrival and clarify the responsibilities of
related sides.
The ministry advised vaccination facilities to sign contracts with different
suppliers, not only one, to avoid dependence on only one source.
Vaccination facilities should contact with rabies vaccine importing facilities
to order the vaccine.
There are four rabies vaccines qualified to be used in Vietnam, namely
, Indirab, Speeda and Verorab.
In the first quarter of this year, it was reported that medical facilities were
likely to face a shortage of rabies vaccine stockpiles to meet the increasing
demand when summer came.
According to the health ministry, 18 people died of rabies in the first four
months of this year. In 2017, rabies killed 62 people while the figure for 2016
was 91 people.
The victims mostly were not vaccinated and lived in rural areas where locals
have the habit of leaving dogs unleashed or do not have their dogs vaccinated.
There have not been any drugs to treat the infection. Rabies vaccines
and rabies immune globulin are recommended for infection prevention.
The World Health Organisation estimates 59,000 people worldwide die from the
disease each year.-VNS/VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
