Ensuring smooth epidemic prevention and vaccination work after merging medical units

Staff at the Chi Lang Ward Health Station in Lang Son City prepare to vaccinate children against measles. Illustrative photo: Anh Tuan/VNA

Hot, humid weather and heavy rain create favorable conditions for disease development.

According to the Ministry of Health , the infectious disease situation in the world is still complicated, in which some diseases with vaccines (measles, whooping cough...), dengue fever, malaria, influenza A (H5N1) continue to be recorded and break out in many countries around the world.

In the country, the infectious disease situation is still basically under control, however, measles continues to record high cases in children aged 11-15 in some provinces and cities; cases of influenza A (H5N1) in humans have been recorded; some endemic diseases such as dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease have begun to increase locally in some localities.

The coming summer will be hot and humid, with lots of rain, especially during the upcoming 2025 peak tourist season, coupled with the increasing travel demand of people, creating favorable conditions for diseases to arise and develop, especially diseases transmitted through the digestive tract, respiratory tract, and mosquito-borne diseases...

To proactively implement the work of preventing and controlling summer epidemics, on major holidays and important historical events of the country in 2025, the Ministry of Health requests the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, the Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology, and the Pasteur Institute to pay attention to directing and strengthening the work of preventing and controlling epidemics during the transitional season.

The Ministry of Health requested the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to assign local authorities to take full responsibility for epidemic prevention and control work in the area; mobilize departments, branches, and socio-political organizations to coordinate with the health sector to effectively implement epidemic prevention and control activities and expanded vaccination work, strengthen screening and management, and not miss any vaccination subjects.

Localities shall arrange funding and ensure resources from local budgets to implement activities to prevent and control infectious diseases and expanded immunization in 2025, including the budget to implement the measles vaccination plan according to Official Dispatch No. 1572/BYT-PB dated March 19, 2025 of the Ministry of Health on ensuring funding for measles vaccination.

Localities immediately organize vaccination campaigns to prevent and control measles.

Examination of a measles patient being treated at Thanh Nhan Hospital. Photo: Minh Quyet/VNA

The Ministry of Health directs the Department of Health to urgently develop a plan and immediately organize the 3rd measles vaccination campaign in 2025 immediately after receiving the vaccine and complete the first vaccination before April 30, 2025, the second vaccination before May 15, 2025 according to Decision No. 1340/QD-BYT dated April 21, 2025 of the Ministry of Health on the implementation of the 3rd measles vaccination campaign in 2025.

Relevant parties shall base on actual conditions and local characteristics to apply appropriate vaccination methods such as home vaccination, school vaccination, and mobile vaccination. Continue to effectively implement expanded vaccination, strengthen management of vaccination subjects, organize catch-up vaccination, and catch-up vaccination for children who have not been vaccinated or have not been fully vaccinated with vaccines in the expanded immunization program and fully update children's vaccination information on the national immunization information system.

Units and localities develop and deploy specific plans to be ready to respond to epidemic situations during the summer, on major holidays and important historical events of the country in 2025, most recently on the occasion of the Southern Liberation and National Reunification Day on April 30, International Labor Day on May 1 and the peak summer tourism season in 2025.

The Ministry of Health requests the People's Committees of provinces and cities to direct the Department of Health to closely monitor the epidemic situation in the area, proactively detect suspected cases early at border gates, in the community and at medical facilities; resolutely implement measures to prevent, combat and thoroughly handle outbreaks, not to let new outbreaks occur, especially infectious diseases with high morbidity and mortality (rabies, influenza A (H5N1), dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria, etc.).

Relevant parties closely coordinate with the Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology and Pasteur to proactively and regularly analyze the situation and assess risks to propose and implement appropriate, timely and effective epidemic prevention and control measures.

The units performed well in admitting patients, promptly treating and providing emergency care to patients, minimizing severe cases and deaths, and implementing good infection control, preventing cross-infection in medical facilities, and strengthening protection for patients in high-risk groups (elderly people, children, pregnant women, people with underlying diseases, patients treated in intensive care units, cardiovascular units, artificial kidney units, surgery units, etc.).

Units and localities proactively coordinate to provide and update information on the epidemic situation and disease prevention recommendations for people; develop documents, products, and communication messages on disease prevention and vaccination in accordance with the customs, practices, and languages ​​of each locality. Closely coordinate with media agencies, press, and grassroots communication systems to recommend and guide people to implement disease prevention measures, raise awareness, and change behavior to protect health.

Relevant parties organize training courses to improve the capacity of health workers and related units in monitoring, detecting, investigating people with infectious diseases, pathogens, measures to handle outbreaks, guidance on diagnosis, treatment, emergency, intensive care and care for people with infectious diseases. Regularly review and ensure logistics, funding, drugs, vaccines, biological products, supplies, chemicals, equipment, human resources... to meet the requirements of epidemic prevention and control according to the 4 on-site motto.

The functional unit inspects and supervises the implementation of epidemic prevention and control, focusing on areas with recorded cases of disease, at risk of outbreaks, and localities that have not managed vaccination subjects well or have low vaccination rates; at the same time, proactively directs and supports lower levels in epidemic prevention and control. Relevant parties ensure smooth operations, without interruptions that affect epidemic prevention and control and expanded immunization after merging and consolidating medical units at all levels. Before and during the reorganization of the apparatus, documents and databases on infectious diseases, epidemic prevention and control and expanded immunization must continue to be preserved and stored in accordance with regulations, and must not be damaged or lost during the reorganization of the apparatus.

Provide adequate funding for epidemic prevention and control activities and expanded immunization.

To prevent the disease, parents need to proactively vaccinate their children on schedule and with enough doses. Photo: Dan Phuong/Tin Tuc Newspaper

The Ministry of Health requested localities to direct the Department of Agriculture and Environment to strengthen proactive monitoring, early detection and timely handling of animal diseases, especially avian influenza, rabies, anthrax, etc., promptly share information with the health sector to deploy measures to prevent infection to humans; effectively manage dog and cat herds and vaccinate livestock, poultry and pets.

The Department of Education and Training organizes and implements disease prevention and control activities at educational institutions, especially kindergartens, preschools, and nurseries; conducts school communication on disease prevention and control and vaccination; performs well in school health work, promptly detects suspected cases of infectious diseases and notifies medical facilities for timely coordination and handling; effectively coordinates and implements vaccination campaigns at educational institutions.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, media agencies, newspapers and grassroots media systems strengthen communication on disease prevention and control; coordinate to provide recommendations and instructions for people to implement personal disease prevention measures, get vaccinated and change behavior, and improve health.

The Department of Finance, based on the 2025 epidemic prevention and control plan, proposes that the Provincial and Municipal People's Committees allocate sufficient funding for epidemic prevention and control activities and expanded immunization, and prepare reserve funds in case of need.

For the Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the Pasteur Institute - Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology is the focal point for coordinating with the Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the Pasteur Institute to immediately allocate measles vaccines to provinces and cities for vaccination for target groups according to Decision No. 1340/QD-BYT dated April 21, 2025 of the Ministry of Health; promptly guide and support localities in organizing and implementing measles vaccination campaigns, promptly coordinate and allocate vaccines among provinces and cities under their management, and regularly monitor and support localities in organizing the implementation.

Units and localities continue to closely monitor the development of the epidemic situation in their areas of responsibility, regularly coordinate with provinces and cities to analyze the situation, assess risks to propose priority solutions to prevent and control the epidemic in accordance with the reality in each locality.

Relevant parties effectively implement expanded immunization work, regularly urge, guide, and support localities to review subjects, organize catch-up vaccinations, and catch-up vaccinations for subjects who have not been vaccinated or have not been fully vaccinated.

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/14/172093/bao-dam-thong-suot-cong-tac-phong-chong-dich-tiem-chung-sau-sap-nhap-cac-don-vi-y-te