NHSO wants Bt1.9 bn for vaccines in 2017

THE National Health Security Office (NHSO) plans a budget of Bt1.89 billion for vaccination purposes in the coming fiscal year.

If the budget gets the green light, hundreds of thousands of girls will get the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) to boost their protection against cervical cancer, one of the nation’s major killers.

“We have planned to include the HPV in the 2017 fiscal year,” National Health Security Office (NHSO) acting secretary general Dr Prateep Dhanakijcharoen disclosed last week.

He said if negotiations with suppliers could lead to a lower vaccine price, it might be possible for state agencies to add some other types of free vaccines for children in the new fiscal year also. The 2017 fiscal year starts on October 1.

The budget of Bt1.89 billion would provide various types of free vaccines at state hospitals. Among them will be vaccines against mumps, polio, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, German measles (MMR URABE/MR), diphtheria, (DTP-HB), plus HPV. Authorities have promised to ensure the country will have vaccine stock that lasts for three months’ use at any time.

Prateep has expressed a hope that if the prices of planned vaccines comes down during the procurement process, it may be possible to add some new vaccines to the list.

“We are considering ROTA and Hib vaccines,” he said. Prateep reckoned it would take some time for additional vaccines to become available in NHSO-provided services because in addition to budget issues, they must also undergo a time-consuming process of registering on the national drug list.

Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe acute gastroenteritis (vomiting, diarrhoea) among kids worldwide. Hib vaccine prevents serious infections caused by a type of bacteria called Haemophilus influenzae type b. Such infections include meningitis (an infection of the covering of the brain and spinal cord), pneumonia (lung infection), and epiglottitis (a severe throat infection).

NHSO is responsible for procuring and distributing vaccines in support of the Public Health Ministry’s disease control plan.

For the 2016 fiscal year, the NHSO spent Bt957 million on basic vaccines and Bt337 million on flu vaccines. In all, it was issued a budget of Bt1.29 billion for vaccinations.

The budget will grow further in the coming fiscal year because the NHSO will need Bt300 million for HPV.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) usually helps with the bidding and procurement process.

Thanks to efficient vaccination, Thailand has successfully combated several diseases. For example, not a single polio case has been detected in the country over the past 18 years.

National Vaccine Institute director Dr Charung Muangchana agreed with the idea of including HPV, Rota and Hib in the free vaccination plans.

NHSO organised a media trip to India to let reporters see firsthand the manufacturing facilities of its quality supplier, the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd.

Headquartered in Pune, it is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, calculated by the number of children protected globally.

“In terms of price, vaccines made in India are much cheaper than those in Europe,” the deputy director-general of the Disease Control Department Dr Opart Karnkawinpong said during the trip.

The Serum Institute of India has about 3,000 employees. More than 100 of them are doctorate-degree holders.

With an annual capacity to produce 1.3 billion doses, Serum Institute of India has supplied vaccines to various countries around the world including the United States, Germany, and China.

Thailand’s GPO has bought five types of vaccines from the Serum Institute of India.

“We plan to expand our contact and collaboration with Thailand in the future,” the Indian firm’s chairman and managing director Cyrus S Poonawalla said.

 He said the Serum Institute of India bought a research report on dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) from Thailand’s Mahidol University last year for further development.

Dengue is common in Thailand. In severe cases, it can cause death. Tridsadee Sahawong, a beloved actor, was among patients who succumbed to dengue and its complications. His death raised public awareness of the disease and its dangers.

Charung said a committee was now studying the feasibility of using a vaccine for dengue in Thailand.