Regulations on mandatory vaccination
According to the draft, disease prevention vaccination is divided into two groups: compulsory vaccination and voluntary vaccination.
Three groups subject to mandatory vaccination include: children, pregnant women and people at risk of infectious diseases who have had vaccines; people who must be vaccinated to prevent and control epidemics such as people living in epidemic areas, medical staff, people participating in handling outbreaks, laboratory staff; other groups decided by the Prime Minister at the proposal of the Ministry of Health.
A noteworthy content of the draft is the compensation mechanism for cases of severe adverse events after compulsory vaccination that seriously affect health or lead to death.
Accordingly, people subject to compulsory vaccination, if serious complications occur leading to disability or death, will be compensated by the State.
In case of leaving sequelae leading to disability, 30 times the base salary will be compensated, along with medical examination and treatment costs and lost or reduced income.
In case of death, relatives of the victim will be supported with treatment costs before death, funeral expenses equal to 10 times the base salary, along with compensation for mental damage of 100 million VND and lost income.
The draft also stipulates the payment of medical examination and treatment costs. If the vaccinated person has a health insurance card (HI), medical examination and treatment costs and rehabilitation will be paid according to the provisions of the law on HI. The co-payment cost or cost exceeding the payment scope of HI will be paid according to invoices and cost statements certified by the medical facility.
In case the vaccinated person does not have a health insurance card, the costs of medical examination, treatment, rehabilitation and patient transportation will be paid according to the service price of the public health facility with valid documents.
The draft stipulates that within 5 working days after receiving a report on severe adverse events after vaccination, provincial-level health agencies must hold a professional council meeting to assess the cause and serve as a basis for considering state compensation.
Maintain vaccination rates above 90%
According to the latest estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, Vietnam has made much progress in protecting children from preventable diseases with vaccines.
However, there are still about 40,000 children who have not been fully vaccinated with three doses of diphtheria - tetanus - pertussis vaccine and about 27,000 children who have not been vaccinated with the first dose of measles vaccine.
The National Expanded Program on Immunization proposes that localities maintain a full vaccination rate for children under 1 year old at 90% or more.
After more than 30 years of implementing the National Expanded Program on Immunization, the effectiveness of vaccines in Vietnam has been clearly demonstrated. Vietnam eliminated polio in 2000 and neonatal tetanus in 2005.
However, the risk of epidemics still exists if the rate of community vaccination decreases. Therefore, full and timely vaccination is considered a key factor in maintaining community immunity and preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Post-injection complications are very rare
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dac Phu - senior expert, former Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health) - said that all vaccines before being put into use must undergo a strict inspection process to ensure safety and effectiveness. However, like any medical intervention, vaccines cannot be absolutely safe in all cases. Post-vaccination reactions can occur with different levels depending on each person's constitution.
Most post-injection reactions are mild such as mild fever, swelling or pain at the injection site and usually resolve on their own after about 24 hours. In rare cases, more severe reactions may occur such as high fever, convulsions, prolonged crying, or anaphylactic shock.
The inclusion of a compensation mechanism in the draft decree is considered a step forward in vaccination policy in Vietnam.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dac Phu said that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of child vaccination in many localities decreased due to the disruption of the health system and the psychological anxiety about post-vaccination reactions of a part of parents.
First case of post-vaccination complication compensated
The first case to be compensated for complications after vaccination in Vietnam was a baby who had severe reactions in December 2016 according to Decree 104/2016/ND-CP. In addition to treatment and funeral expenses equal to 10 months of base salary, relatives are also compensated 100 million VND for mental damage and lost income.
