HCMC – The Pasteur Institute in HCMC has been facing a shortage of vaccines for almost two months due to bidding and procurement problems.
People have been unable to get vaccination service at the Pasteur Institue over the last two months due to the severe shortage of vaccines.
In June 2022, Associate Professor Dr. Cao Huu Nghia, head of the Biomedical, and Health Service Department at the Pasteur Institute, said they had run out of many types of vaccines, including Meningococcal, Pneumococcal, Japanese B encephalitis, Pertussis, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Varicella and MMR.
Problems with medical supply bidding and procurement are to blame.
As of August 11, vaccine shortages had remained as acute as ever at the HCMC Pasteur Institute.
According to the official website of the institute, common vaccines such as Verorab, MMR, TWINRIX, Tetanus vaccines (VAT, SAT), VARIVAX, VARILRIX, HPV, and INFLUVAC are not yet available. The institute only has the pneumococcal vaccine (PREVENAR) and the Rotavirus vaccines (ROTATEQ and ROTARIX).
The institute has been reviewing the bidding and procurement process according to guidance from Circular 08 of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, effective from August 1, 2022.
The institute is a huge preventive medicine center in the southern region, which can provide some 1,000 vaccinations per day.
People can visit the HCMC Center for Disease Control, public hospitals, and private medical centers for testing and vaccinations.
