Vietnam Confirms Vaccine Quality Through Expiration Date

Vietnamese health officials and vaccine experts recently detailed the rigorous process ensuring vaccine quality and efficacy throughout its shelf life. During a discussion hosted by Sức khỏe & Đời sống newspaper and Takeda Vietnam, experts explained that vaccine development begins with identifying community health needs and proceeds through years of preclinical and clinical trials.

Manufacturers must submit detailed technical files to Vietnam’s Drug Administration, demonstrating quality, production processes, and research data. Independent national authorities then inspect production facilities to ensure they meet Good Manufacturing Practice standards.

Quality control continues lot by lot, with additional inspections occurring when vaccines are exported to countries like Vietnam, adhering to standards set by organizations like the WHO, EMA, or FDA. Experts emphasized that vaccine expiration dates aren’t arbitrary, but are based on strict stability studies conducted under defined storage conditions, with ongoing monitoring throughout the product's lifecycle.

Proper cold chain management, maintaining temperatures between +2°C and +8°C, is crucial for preserving vaccine quality. Officials confirmed vaccines remain effective to the last day of their printed expiration date, and that near-expiry vaccines pose no increased risk of adverse reactions when stored correctly.