VietNamNet Bridge – High-quality vaccines are available to people on low income with a zero percent interest rate on installment payments.

Children aging under one and two years old would be provided with 11 types of vaccines costing VND12.5 million ($537) and VND17.8 million ($765) respectively. — Photo tienphong.vn

The programme is the first of its kind in Vietnam and is available on a monthly repayment plan for adults and children in Hanoi, HCM City and Dong Nai.

The plan has been launched at all five vaccination centres of the Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company.

Ngo Chi Dung, director of the company said patients registering for vaccine packages worth VND3 million (US$129) or more would be eligible to the programme.

Patients are required to have a credit card from the company’s partner banks, and the monthly installments will be deducted from their bank account over six months.

Currently, as many as six banks have joined the programme, including HSBC, Techcombank, VIB, Sacombank, TPBank, and Standard Chartered.

There were three vaccine packages available for children, adults and pregnant women.

Children aging under one and two years old would be provided with 11 types of vaccines costing VND12.5 million ($537) and VND17.8 million ($765) respectively.

Adults and expectant mothers would be given five types of vaccines worth between VND3.5 million ($150) and VND5.5 million ($236) and between VND2.3 million ($98) and VND3.2 million ($137) respectively.

Dung said those who registered for the programme would agree to have vaccines, free check-ups and consultations and the prices of vaccines would not increase when the package during the length of the contract.

Le Thi Thanh Tinh, resident in Bien Hoa City’s Long Binh Ward said she appreciated the plan as it helped many parents ease financial burdens when they decided to choose high-quality vaccination service.

Tinh said she had twins, so all the costs doubled. The division of the money for small sums in six months was a good solution for her and her family.

In addition, she said she no longer worries about a shortage of vaccines for her babies.

Ta Thanh Doan, another parent in Bien Hoa City, said before registering for the programme, he had to take his three children to HCM City, which was 30 kilometres away, to get vaccinated.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Ha, representative of VIB told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that in fact, the Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company would pay the interest rate of 2.15 per cent per month of credit card owners for the banks.

Ha said the programme brought benefits for all people and encouraged them to get vaccinated to prevent diseases and improve their health.

The Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company has five vaccination centres, including two in Hanoi, two in HCM City and one in Dong Nai Province. 

Source: VNS