(VNF) - The measles-rubella vaccine (MR) produced by Vietnam, which was clinically tested, and proven safe and effective, will be used in the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation free of charge in 2017.

This is the first vaccine that has been produced in Vietnam by the Ministry of Health’s Centre for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biology (POLYVAC) under a technology-transfer project funded by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).

Made-in-Vietnam measles-rubella vaccine. (Source: VNA)

According to POLYVAC Director Nguyen Dang Hien, the project started in May 2013 with a total cost of JPY 700 million (USD 6.7 million). It targets a combined MR vaccine meeting the Good Manufacturing Practices standard of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The centre will provide this vaccine to the National Expanded Immunization Programme targeting Vietnamese children by 2017.

In March 2016, with the assistance of Japanese experts and efforts of the centre’s staff, the measles-rubella vaccine was clinically tested and proven safe and effective, Director Hien said.

Specifically, the vaccine has been tested on 756 healthy people aged between 1-45 in five communes in Phu Ly city of Ha Nam province and three communes in Kim Boi district of Hoa Binh province.

The Science Technology and Training Administration (STTA) has verified that the measles-rubella vaccine produced by the centre has met the requirements in terms of safety and immunity.

Since the project began, the Japanese side’s technology transfer unit – Kitasato Daiichi Sankyo Vaccine (KDSV) has sent 197 experts to Vietnam to support POLYVAC in producing the vaccine and received 36 staff from the centre for training in its plant in Japan.

With its current capacity of 7.5 million doses per year, the centre can fully meet the domestic vaccine demand, even export in the future.

In 2015, WHO certified that Vietnam has a fully-equipped national regulatory authority (NRA) system that ensures the safety and efficacy of vaccines produced and used in Vietnam.

Currently, Vietnam is among 25 nations that can produce vaccines in the world, and four in Asia that can produce the measles-rubella vaccine, following Japan, India, and China./.

( Compiled by VNF )