Most parents now are very worried over the deaths of three newborn babies in Huong Hoa District in the central province of Quang Tri, and are spending more money to buy high priced vaccines to safeguard their children.
The National Expanded Program on Immunization has stopped using two lots of vaccines in Ho Chi Minh City since the above unfortunate incident.
Parents carrying their young ones are now queuing for hours to vaccinate their neonates in Tu Du Maternity Hospital.
One parent said she had brought her niece for the expensive vaccine, but the hospital had already run out of stock.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Tu Anh of Tu Du Maternity Hospital said medical workers divide pregnant women into two groups; one group comprises of women infected with Hepatitis B and another with those not having the infection.
Parents pay VND52,000 (US$2.5) for Euvax B vaccine and VND338,000 ($15.9) for one dose of HBIG.
This amount is not reimbursed by Health Insurance Company.
Tu Du Maternity Hospital receives 150 pregnant women each day and is now tightening vaccination procedures, along with other hospitals in the City.
Nguyen Van Anh, Director of Mekong Maternity Hospital personally supervises vaccination of children. Now, after the above unfortunate incident, the Department of Health in HCMC has asked all medical units to adhere to strict preservation and vaccination procedures.
