Protecting children from summer diseases.

Summer weather, with its hot temperatures and high humidity, creates favorable conditions for the emergence and spread of many infectious diseases, especially among young children. Given the increased risk of diseases such as hand, foot and mouth disease, dengue fever, measles, and respiratory infections, vaccination is considered a crucial "shield" to protect children from these diseases.

Children receive vaccinations at the 36 Care vaccination system.

From early morning, the vaccination service room at the Thanh Hoa Provincial Center for Disease Control was crowded with parents bringing their children for screening, consultation, and vaccination. Parents were primarily interested in vaccines for influenza, the 6-in-1 vaccine, pneumococcal disease, Japanese encephalitis, chickenpox, measles, and dengue fever. Many families proactively reviewed their children's vaccination schedules to ensure they received all necessary doses before the peak of the disease season. Ms. Le Mai Anh from Hac Thanh ward shared: “During the summer, children travel more, come into contact with many people, and there are many potential diseases, so I made sure to bring my child to get all the missing vaccinations. In my opinion, prevention is always better than cure.”

Ms. Dao Thi Huong, a nurse at the vaccination service room of the Provincial Center for Disease Control, shared: “At this time, the demand for some vaccines has increased significantly, especially vaccines against respiratory diseases, rotavirus, chickenpox, and measles. To ensure safe vaccination, healthcare workers always conduct screening, pre-vaccination counseling, and post-vaccination monitoring to ensure the safety of children.”

At the 36 Care vaccination system, there has also been increased public interest in vaccination. Across 8 vaccination centers, the vaccines that parents are most interested in are the 6-in-1 vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, rotavirus vaccine, chickenpox vaccine, and dengue fever vaccine. These vaccines contribute to increased disease protection for children during transitional seasons and the summer months.

Mr. Hoang Van Nam, from Dong Quang ward, said: "Previously, my family mainly vaccinated our children with vaccines included in the expanded immunization program, but now that there are so many diseases, I proactively have my children vaccinated with additional vaccines from private clinics. The cost may be higher, but in return, I have more peace of mind about my children's health."

In reality, many parents have a correct and sufficient understanding of the benefits of vaccination for their children. Along with changes in parental awareness, childhood vaccination programs are being implemented synchronously throughout the province. Currently, the province has 547 health stations, 26 health centers, 31 public hospitals, 12 private hospitals, and 83 other facilities participating in vaccination activities. This widespread vaccination network has created favorable conditions for people, especially in rural, mountainous, and remote areas, to access vaccination services for their children.

Currently, two forms of childhood immunization are implemented throughout the province: expanded immunization and private immunization services. Every year, the expanded immunization program in Thanh Hoa always meets and exceeds its targets, especially the rate of complete immunization for children under 1 year old. In the first four months of 2026, 11,931 newborns received the Hepatitis B vaccine before and after birth; 13,918 children received the first dose of the DPT-VGB-Hib vaccine to prevent diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis B, and pneumonia/meningitis caused by Hib bacteria, and 12,973 children received the third dose... For children over 1 year old, 13,504 children received the measles-rubella vaccine; and 13,876 children received the Japanese encephalitis vaccine...

In addition to vaccines included in the expanded immunization program, many people have chosen to receive private vaccinations such as: 5-in-1, 6-in-1, hepatitis A, meningococcal meningitis, pneumococcal, seasonal influenza, etc. As a result, vaccination rates in localities have basically met the set targets and progress, contributing to maintaining effective community immunity. The effectiveness of both the expanded immunization program and private vaccination services in the province has significantly contributed to protecting and caring for children's health, considerably reducing cases of illness/death from vaccine-preventable infectious diseases.

Mr. Le Thien Phu, Deputy Head of the Department of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Provincial Center for Disease Control, said: “Summer is a high-risk period for many infectious diseases in children such as hand, foot and mouth disease, dengue fever, measles, Japanese encephalitis, respiratory infections... Meanwhile, young children have limited immunity, so if they are not fully vaccinated, they are very susceptible to illness and serious complications. Therefore, full and timely vaccination is the most effective disease prevention measure currently available.”

To maintain vaccine coverage and ensure vaccination safety, the Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, along with local health centers and health stations, have intensified communication efforts to raise public awareness about the role of vaccines and the benefits of timely and complete vaccination. Simultaneously, the health sector regularly collaborates with associations and organizations to conduct communication campaigns and vaccination campaigns for children.

In addition, the health sector is strengthening the review of unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated individuals to organize catch-up and supplementary vaccinations on a regular basis; ensuring the supply of vaccines, vaccination materials, cold chain facilities, and professional training for grassroots health workers. All vaccination facilities strictly implement pre-vaccination screening procedures, post-vaccination monitoring, and are prepared to handle any unforeseen situations to ensure the safety of children.

In the context of the potential risks of summer diseases, proactively ensuring children receive all necessary vaccinations not only protects their health but also contributes to community immunity, limiting the risk of widespread disease outbreaks.

Text and photos: Thùy Linh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/bao-ve-tre-em-truc-dich-benh-mua-he-289109.htm