During World Immunization Week 2023 (24-30 April), the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF are encouraging urgent efforts in Viet Nam to reverse a significant decline in essential, routine vaccination that has left many children unprotected against vaccine-preventable diseases.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for all countries, but strong government leadership and community efforts in Viet Nam have helped protect lives and maintain social and economic development. Globally recognized as having rolled out the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines quickly, safely and at scale, Viet Nam ensured that vaccines reached every corner of the country to protect those most vulnerable.
However, over this challenging period significant setbacks to routine immunization coverage for children occurred, as health services were disrupted, health centers closed, families were locked down and imports and exports of vials, syringes and other medical supplies for routine immunization were disrupted. This has resulted in close to 67 million children around the world missing the routine vaccines that keep them safe from deadly diseases. Unfortunately, this is true also for Viet Nam which has experienced the largest sustained decline in rates of childhood vaccinations since the national Expanded Programme on Immunization was established. Viet Nam is among the 20 countries in the world with the highest number of unvaccinated children.
