Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The national digital vaccination database currentlycovers 11,000 immunisation locations in local health centres and hospitalsacross the country.

The extending coverage of the digital system has proved to beuseful to health workers and authorities alike, said Duong Thi Hong, DeputyDirector of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, at aconference on June 12.

“The health ministry is aiming towards eliminatingpaper-based immunisation registries, minimising reliance on physical recordbooks and documents, and moving our management duties onto computer software,”she said.

Currently, the national immunisation information system has been implemented in most health centres where vaccines shots are provided,leaving only a few locations not yet connected to the database, especiallydelivery centres and paid immunisation centres.

Hong said she expects the database will reach these locationssoon. Right now the target population – 10 million children andwomen – are currently managed by the electronic system.

In the future, the National Expanded Programme onImmunisation will collaborate with relevant agencies to review existing paperrecords and reports, to update information on the system and make it easier forhealth workers.

In 2018, the Immunisation Week, a global public healthinitiative by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to raise awareness andpromote the coverage of immunisation around the world, was also held in Vietnam in April with the theme “Protected Together, #VaccinesWork.”

The campaign aimed to “maintain the achievements of thenational expanded immunisation programme, mobilise support, investment andinvolvement from all levels of authorities and domestic and foreign agencies”in the vaccine efforts, especially in remote mountainous and island areas.

Expanded immunisation has always received great attentionfrom the Government. Last year, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued Decision1125 to approve the National Target Programme on Health and Population for the2016-20 period, with the national expanded immunisation continuing to be afocal point.

According to a report by the National Institute of Hygieneand Epidemiology, in the first three months of 2018, vaccination has witnessedconsiderable progress. The rate of newborns being vaccinated against hepatitis B inthe first 24 hours after birth reached 16.9 percent, higher than the sameperiod in 2017 16.2 percent.

The number of cases of whooping cough in the first threemonths decreased compared to the same period in 2017 and no cases of diphtheriadisease have been recorded (there are five cases in the first quarter of 2017).

In February, the made-in-Vietnam measles and rubella vaccine(MRVAC) was first introduced in four provinces - Nam Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Dak Nongand Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Initial results on 7,787 infants in the 18-24 monthsage range were positive, with no reports of severe vaccine reactions and lowrate of post-vaccination typical reactions such as swelling or pain.-VNS/VNA