Report

Equitable access and public attitudes to vaccination for internal migrants in Vietnam

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies looks at policy implementation and decision-making for vaccination in Vietnam.

Policies that give priority to economic productivity disadvantage those who are not considered vital or essential from that perspective. The delegation of some of the vaccination access decisions to local authorities, for example village headmen, allowed for flexibility based on local contexts and needs. However, the capacity of implementers at grass-root level to respond to emerging situations was not identified clearly in implementing guidelines. This resulted in a lack of transparency in local decision-making. We recommend establishing an independent body with representatives from various groups to monitor policy implementation and decision-making for vaccination and emergency preparedness for future outbreaks. More research is needed to explore the social acceptability of medical technologies and medical interventions, especially in prolonged epidemics such as the Covid-19 pandemic.