Vietnam successfully produces measles vaccine - rubella

Vietnam on November 8 announced the successful production of measles - rubella vaccine and will be used for free vaccination for children instead of importing from India today.

The Ministry of Health of Vietnam approved the results of clinical trials of the combined measles - rubella (MR) vaccine . Since March, this vaccine has been clinically tested and evaluated for safety and effectiveness for users. The vaccine is produced by the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Health Products (Polyvac) under the Ministry of Health. Polyvac will complete the licensing procedures for product circulation. It is expected that the vaccine will be provided for the Vietnam Free Immunization Immunization program for children from 2017.

Children vaccinated with measles - rubella at 18 months of age.(Photo: NP).

This is the first MR vaccine successfully produced in Vietnam in a project supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The project was implemented by Polyvac in May 2013 and conducted for nearly 5 years with a budget of about 700 million Japanese yen.

Vietnam is one of 25 world countries and is the fourth country in Asia to successfully produce MR vaccine, after Japan, India and China.

According to Dr. Duong Thi Hong, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the Expanded Immunization Program in Vietnam now uses a combination of measles - rubella vaccine produced by India. On average, about 1.5 million children get this vaccine every year, with a rate of over 90%.Vaccination course: The child is given a single measles shot at 9 months of age, 18 months of age when the child is given the measles shot - rubella.

Measles - rubella vaccine is given free to children in order to eliminate measles in 2017, followed by rubella. Earlier, the measles vaccine was given free of charge in the program, while the rubella vaccine was given as a service.

Measles and rubella are acute infectious diseases caused by viruses. Rubella in children is usually mild, less complicated, for pregnant women the consequences are extremely heavy. Pregnant women with rubella infection during the first 3 months of pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, congenital rubella syndrome and rubella infection in newborn babies. Congenital rubella causes heart defects, cataracts, congenital deafness, growth retardation, diabetes in newborns, jaundice, hemorrhage, glass bones ., many children with multiple malformations .