For the first time, Vietnam has a new generation of meningococcal vaccine with no age limit for vaccination.

On July 4, Dr. Bach Thi Chinh, Medical Director of the VNVC Vaccination System, said that 230 VNVC centers nationwide have deployed the new generation of meningococcal vaccine MenACYW. This is the first time in Vietnam that the meningococcal vaccine has been prescribed for adults aged 56 and older.

According to Dr. Bach Thi Chinh, the new generation meningococcal vaccine MenACYW (Sanofi, France) is produced at a factory in the US. This vaccine applies breakthrough technology, using conjugated protein from tetanus toxoid (TT) with a modern molecular structure, helping to stimulate a strong and sustainable immune response, while reducing the rate of healthy people carrying the virus, contributing to breaking the transmission chain in the community.

Children are vaccinated against meningococcal disease.

Unlike the previous meningococcal vaccine which limited the age of vaccination to 55 years old, the MenACYW vaccine is indicated for children from 12 months old and adults without age limit, and is expected to be expanded to children from 6 weeks old in the near future.

According to medical experts, meningococcal disease often starts silently with symptoms such as fever, headache, sore throat... which are easily confused with many common diseases, leading to late treatment and missing the "golden period". According to statistics, up to 50% of people with meningococcal disease will die if not detected and treated promptly. Among the few patients who survive, 10 - 20% face severe sequelae such as hearing loss, blindness, amputation, neurological disorders, especially newborns with a sequelae rate of up to 50%.

According to the Ministry of Health , 5-25% of people in the community are "healthy carriers", showing no symptoms but still spreading the disease, making it difficult to control the epidemic. In crowded environments such as schools, dormitories, military barracks, industrial zones, etc., the risk of an outbreak is very high. In the first 6 months of 2025 alone, the whole country has recorded dozens of cases, including 2 deaths due to meningococcus. In June 2025, the Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City warned of the risk of a meningococcal outbreak in the southern region.

“In the face of the risk of viruses and bacteria spreading easily in the context of increasing economic , social and global tourism exchanges, the research and development of new generation meningococcal vaccines by vaccine manufacturers with breakthrough technology that expands the spectrum of protection, increases effectiveness, is safer and is suitable for all ages is a great achievement of medical technology, contributing to effectively protecting public health,” said Dr. Bach Thi Chinh.

Dr. Kuharaj Mahenthiran, Medical Director of Sanofi Vaccines Vietnam, said that the new generation meningococcal vaccine MenACYW has been approved in more than 70 countries and has been deployed for vaccination in nearly 40 countries since 2021. Dr. Kuharaj Mahenthiran affirmed that with a wide age indication and a solid research foundation, this vaccine will play a key role, a big step forward in protecting Vietnamese people from meningococcal disease.

According to Dr. Bach Thi Chinh, meningococcal vaccines do not have cross-immunity, so people should receive a combination of vaccines to fully prevent all 5 meningococcal serotypes that cause the disease. Depending on vaccination history, epidemiological situation, age and needs... the doctor will prescribe the appropriate vaccine and vaccination schedule to achieve the most optimal protection.

baotintuc.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/lan-dau-tien-viet-nam-co-vaccine-nao-mo-cau-the-he-moi-khong-gioi-han-do-tuoi-tiem-post648009.html