In a major step forward for public health protection in the Dominican Republic, the nation’s Ministry of Public Health has added nearly 440,000 new vaccine doses to its national immunization stockpile, reinforcing the country’s longstanding Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) and guaranteeing free, life-saving protection for children against a range of serious, vaccine-preventable illnesses. The delivery includes 386,990 doses of acellular hexavalent vaccine and 50,000 doses of acellular quadrivalent vaccine, both critical to the country’s routine childhood vaccination schedule.
The hexavalent vaccine included in this shipment is designed to guard against six life-threatening conditions: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, hepatitis B, and infection from Haemophilus influenzae type b. The latter is a bacterial pathogen that can trigger severe, potentially fatal complications such as bacterial meningitis, particularly in young children with underdeveloped immune systems. Per Dominican national health guidelines, this hexavalent vaccine is introduced to children starting at two months of age, with follow-up primary doses at four and six months, and a final booster shot administered once a child reaches 18 months old.
The 50,000 doses of acellular quadrivalent vaccine, meanwhile, target four major diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and polio. This formulation is used exclusively as a booster dose for children once they reach four years of age, to extend and reinforce the immunity they received from earlier childhood vaccinations.
Aida Lucía Vargas, who leads the Ministry’s Division of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, explained that the new doses were purchased through the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) Revolving Fund, a regional mechanism that streamlines vaccine procurement for countries across the Americas. A key benefit of this procurement pathway, Vargas noted, is that it guarantees all vaccine products meet strict international standards for quality, safety, and clinical efficacy, eliminating concerns about substandard biological products.
All doses have already been pushed out through the country’s National Vaccination Network, and are currently available at no cost to families at more than 1,350 active vaccination centers spread across every region of the Dominican Republic. Beyond this immediate shipment, the Ministry of Public Health has confirmed it maintains robust strategic reserves of routine childhood vaccines, enough to keep immunization services running without interruption even if global supply chains face unexpected disruptions. Looking ahead, the ministry also anticipates receiving additional shipments of routine vaccines in the coming weeks, which will further bulk up national stockpiles and help the country maintain high rates of immunization coverage across all age groups.