The Government has just issued Resolution No. 224/NQ-CP on ensuring funding for vaccine procurement for the Expanded Immunization Program.
The Government's Resolution clearly states that the 2024 state budget will be allocated to ensure the implementation of the Expanded Immunization Program. In particular, the central budget will ensure funding for purchasing vaccines for the Expanded Immunization Program.
The Government assigned the Ministry of Health to urgently organize the purchase of vaccines for expanded immunization in accordance with the law; the management and use of vaccines must be economical, effective, timely, and in accordance with regulations.
The Minister of Health is responsible to the Prime Minister for ensuring the source of vaccines for children. The Ministry of Finance shall preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to submit to competent authorities the budget estimate from the state budget in 2024 to the Ministry of Health to purchase vaccines for the Expanded Immunization Program, ensuring compliance with regulations.
According to the Ministry of Health, in the period of 2016-2022, the Expanded Immunization Program will be allocated funding to purchase vaccines from the Health and Population Target Program. In addition, there will be sources of vaccine purchases supported and aided by GAVI and other foreign organizations. Vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program will be provided free of charge to children.
In 2023, implementing the State Budget Law, localities must carry out procedures for purchasing vaccines from their own budgets. However, localities are facing difficulties in arranging and approving funding, problems with bidding procedures, price approval, implementation experience...
Faced with this reality, the Government issued Resolution No. 98/NQ-CP dated July 10, 2023, Decision No. 931/QD-TTg dated August 5, 2023, allocating funds for the Ministry of Health to centrally purchase vaccines.
However, due to the time-consuming implementation of legal regulations and the purchase of vaccines by order (a 9-step process), there has been a nationwide shortage of vaccines. This issue was also mentioned by National Assembly deputies at the recent National Assembly session.
To fundamentally resolve this vaccine shortage, the Ministry of Health is coordinating with relevant ministries and branches to advise on amending Decree No. 104/2016/ND-CP dated July 1, 2016, which allows the allocation of the central budget for the Ministry of Health to ensure funding for purchasing vaccines for the Expanded Immunization Program in the coming period.
PHAN THAO
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