A ceremony for the vaccination took place at the People's Palace of Culture in Pyongyang on Thursday.

Attending it were local officials from the ministries of Public Health and Foreign Affairs, the National Hygienic and Anti-epidemic Center and healthcare establishments in Pyongyang, along with representatives and members of UNDP and other international organizations and diplomatic missions in the DPRK.

Minister of Public Health Choe Chang Sik made a speech at the ceremony.

The DPRK is now ready to introduce new pentavalent vaccine to the national routine immunization programme, he said, adding:

"With the introduction of pentavalent vaccine, children can now be immune from meningitis and pneumonia caused by Hib as well as pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, and Hepatitis B, providing us with a good prospect for the reduction of child mortality and morbidity and for achieving MDG goals.

"The introduction of pentavalent vaccine has been preceded by planning and various preparatory activities in close collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, GAVI, WHO and UNICEF.

The preparatory activities include strengthening of cold chain system on a national scale, development of guidelines for the introduction of the new vaccine and training of all immunization staff and doctors in the country. These activities established a full basis for the introduction of the pentavalent vaccine throughout the country."

The minister expressed the appreciation to international organizations and their representatives active in the DPRK for their sincere support to the country in the successful implementation of EPI.

Congratulatory speeches were made at the ceremony by Bijaya Rajbhandari, UNICEF representative, and Yonas Tegegen, WHO representative.

The ceremony was followed by a technical course for pentavalent vaccine.

The pentavalent vaccination was conducted at the Puksae Clinic in Moranbong District, Pyongyang, and Wonhwari People's Hospital in Phyongwon County, South Phyongan Province, on the same day.

The representative of UNICEF told that the DPRK has achieved high inoculation progress and that this is right time for it to introduce pentavalent vaccination.

"UNICEF is part of the team of those supporting the progress of the vaccination program and we have been working closely in the cold chain establishment for the preparations of taking care of additional vaccines in the DPRK," the representative said.

He hoped that the current vaccination program would be implemented with success, as others were.

Roles of UNICEF are to make sure that the vaccines are absolutely going out to counties and rural communities in the DPRK, that there is proper communication plan so that everybody is aware of the use of pentavalent vaccination and that there is adequate technical support to the mixture procurement, the representative added.