Does Malaysia have enough supply of 5-in-1 infant vaccine?

The Ministry of Health will continue to hold discussions with pharmaceutical companies and concessionaires to ensure sufficient supply of the 5-in-1 infant vaccine in the country.

Health director-general, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said Malaysia is using the combination (DTaP/IPV/HiB) vaccine under the National Childhood Immunisation Programme as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the final phase of the Global Polio Eradication Programme.

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However, since June this year, he said there was a global problem in the supply of vaccine containing inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and acellular pertussis (one of the 5-in-1 vaccine) as there was only one supplier to meet the global demand.

He said the situation had affected the national immunisation service in a way that the supply of vaccine to private health facilities was cut off and the supply of buffer stocks at government health facilities and concessionaires had also declined.

"The use of the 5-in-1 infant vaccine at government health facilities has also be on the rise following referrals from private health facilities. Some appointments had to be rescheduled while waiting for supply to come in" he said in a statement here today.

At the same time, Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry would continue monitoring the supply and stock of vaccines across the country and redistributing the vaccines to essential areas and making weekly orders to allow other districts and clinics get their supplies.

"Priority will be given to clinics in remote areas. This is to ensure that immunisation service continues to prevent outbreak of preventable diseases," he said.

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The 5-in-1 infant vaccine is administered in four doses to children at age two months, three months, five months and 18 months to prevent diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis) and Haemophilus influenza type B.

Dr Noor Hisham also urged parents and guardians, especially those seeking immunisation service at private clinics, to keep up with the appointment dates given by government health workers to ensure the 5-in-1 vaccine were administered.