42 cases of measles have been recorded.

On March 19, the Ministry of Health sent a document to the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities on strengthening measles prevention and control.

The Ministry of Health cited information from the World Health Organization (WHO) saying that WHO recently issued a warning about the increase in the number of measles cases and the risk of measles outbreaks in many areas around the world.

According to WHO data, in the European region, the number of cases in 2023 was more than 300,000, an increase of more than 30 times compared to 2022. In the Western Pacific region, the number of measles cases increased by 255% from 2022 to 2023.

According to WHO, in Vietnam, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the past time and the interruption of vaccine supply in the Expanded Immunization Program in 2023 have affected the vaccination rate of children nationwide. Many children have not been vaccinated on schedule or have not received enough doses of vaccines in recent years, which is a risk factor for disease outbreaks including measles.

According to the Ministry of Health, according to data from the infectious disease reporting system, since the beginning of the year, there have been 42 sporadic cases of measles and suspected measles rash fever recorded in 13 provinces and cities; no concentrated outbreaks have been recorded.

To strengthen disease prevention and control, and minimize the risk of measles outbreaks in the coming time, the Ministry of Health requests the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to direct relevant units to strengthen surveillance, early detection of measles cases in the community and medical examination and treatment facilities; and implement measures to thoroughly handle outbreaks as soon as cases are detected.

At the same time, continue to implement regular monthly vaccination for subjects under the Expanded Immunization Program, including measles vaccination for 9-month-old children and measles-rubella vaccination for 18-month-old children; Review and organize catch-up vaccinations and catch-up vaccinations for subjects under the Expanded Immunization Program who have not been vaccinated against measles, paying special attention to vaccination gaps.

At the same time, the Ministry of Health requested provinces and cities to step up propaganda activities about the risk of measles and preventive measures, and mobilize people to fully and timely vaccinate their children with vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program to proactively prevent infectious diseases for which vaccines are available.

According to the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), measles is an infectious disease that spreads through the respiratory tract caused by the measles virus. To proactively prevent measles, the Department of Preventive Medicine recommends that people:

Take the initiative to take your children from 9 months old who have not been vaccinated against measles or from 18 months old who have not received 2 doses of measles vaccine to the commune or ward health station to get vaccinated against measles.

When detecting signs of fever, cough, runny nose, rash, it is necessary to promptly take the child to the nearest medical facility for timely examination and treatment to prevent complications and severe progression of measles. Limit taking the child to large hospitals to avoid measles infection from the hospital.

Measles is highly contagious, do not let children come near or come into contact with children suspected of having measles. Wash hands frequently with soap when caring for children and ensure measures to improve children's nutrition.

Source