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Risk assessment and health-protection needs should be addressed by development stages rather than by diseases in isolation. In the first quarter of 2026, the Ministry of Health recorded 24 meningococcal cases nationwide, including 4 deaths, prompting a call not to let meningococcal disease spread. Scientific advances have opened new opportunities to help communities proactively block the threat early through the quadrivalent conjugate meningococcal vaccine MenACYW-TT.
At a scientific conference on strategies to defend against invasive meningococcal disease, Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Dien, President of the Vietnam Pediatric Association and Director of the National Children's Hospital, said Vietnam has data showing circulation of meningococcal serogroups A, C, Y and W among both children and adults. He noted that serogroups W and C have higher virulence and fatality, so prevention strategies must consider full protection against these key serogroups.
Dr. Duong Chi Nam, Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention, highlighted that Vietnam’s vaccination program has marked milestones including polio eradication in 2000, elimination of neonatal tetanus in 2005, and substantial reductions in several dangerous infectious diseases. He said vaccines play an important role as emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases continue to appear, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, Dr. Nam also noted that vaccination rates across many localities remain below expectations, keeping outbreak risks non-negligible.
The 2025 Prevention Law, passed on December 10, clarifies that vaccination includes not only introducing vaccines into the body but also biologics intended to prevent disease. The law specifies two forms of vaccination: compulsory and voluntary.
Dr. Nam highlighted a key novelty in the vaccine provisions: the addition of a “campaign vaccination” form. Previously, programs largely relied on routine vaccination. For diseases like measles, even with vaccination rates of 90–95%, immunity gaps can accumulate. Roughly every five years, the unprotected group grows and outbreak risks rise again.
The Health Ministry is considering adding new vaccines to the Expanded Immunization Program after government decrees are issued. Currently, vaccines in the program mainly target children and pregnant women. In the coming period, the ministry will coordinate with donors to assess the community effectiveness of each vaccine before nationwide deployment.
The number of recipients will be determined based on data from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.
At the conference on lifelong immunity, experts stated that Vietnam is entering a period of rapid population aging, changing healthcare needs, especially for the elderly and those with underlying conditions. Aging is associated with immune senescence, increasing the risk of infectious diseases, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.
One researcher said vaccination is preventive care alongside regular health checks and early disease detection. “One đồng invested in prevention yields benefits many times over by avoiding severe illness, hospitalization, disability, lost income, and caregiving burden,” underscoring the cost-effectiveness of preventive vaccines.
Experts also emphasized that healthcare workers play a pivotal role by listening with empathy, clearly communicating risks and benefits of vaccines, and providing personalized counseling to support people in making appropriate decisions.
There is a noted gap in vaccine coverage between infection risk and actual vaccination, reflecting ongoing challenges in ensuring sufficient population immunity.
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