(QBĐT) - After many years of not recording any measles cases, by December 2024, Quang Binh recorded 31 suspected measles cases and identified 13 positive cases, most of them children.
Concentrated in Minh Hoa area
Measles and suspected measles cases are mainly concentrated in Minh Hoa district and scattered in some localities in the province, such as: Bo Trach, Dong Hoi city, Le Thuy,...
According to information from the provincial Center for Disease Control (CDC), as of December 30, 2024, Minh Hoa district recorded 16 suspected cases of measles, of which 9 cases tested positive for measles virus. Notably, 9 cases tested positive for measles virus were all recorded in December 2024. Of the 9 positive cases mentioned above, 4 cases had not been vaccinated against measles, 1 case had been vaccinated against measles, 2 cases were not old enough to be vaccinated against measles, and 2 cases had unknown vaccination history.
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The Pediatrics Department of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in Dong Hoi (HNVN-CBDH) is where most of the measles cases in the province are treated, with 9 positive cases and 5 suspected measles cases being treated. According to doctors, most of the measles patients treated here have not been vaccinated and are not old enough to be vaccinated (under 9 months old). In cases that have been vaccinated, the symptoms are milder and recover faster.
| Since the beginning of the year, the country has recorded more than 38,000 suspected measles cases, including more than 6,700 positive cases and 13 deaths related to measles. (Source: Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health ). |
Ms. Dinh Thi Le Quyen (Thuong Hoa commune, Minh Hoa) has a nearly 8-month-old daughter who is being treated at HNVN-CBĐH Hospital. She said that at first, her daughter had a fever, cough and runny nose, and was treated at Minh Hoa District General Hospital for 1 week. After being discharged from the hospital, the baby had a fever again. Because the fever was not very high, she thought her baby had a teething fever, and gave her fever reducer at home. After the fever did not subside for 2 days and nights, she brought her baby back to the hospital. When a rash was discovered, suspected to be measles, the baby was transferred to HNVN-CBĐH Hospital.
“My baby has been treated for a week now and is much better, except for wheezing. Luckily, I took him to the hospital in time,” Quyen shared.
Signs that you need to take your child to a medical facility immediately
Dr. Pham Thi Ngoc Han, Head of the Department of Pediatrics, HNVN-CBDH Hospital, said: Measles is an acute and dangerous infectious disease. The disease is characterized by fever, inflammation of the respiratory tract, conjunctivitis and rash, which can lead to many complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, otitis media, corneal ulcers, enteritis... which greatly affect health and even endanger life. In particular, the disease is very serious for children with underlying diseases and immunodeficiency.
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Currently, the changing weather conditions are very contagious. Parents need to pay attention to some typical symptoms of measles to detect the disease early, take the child to a medical facility for examination and timely guidance: High fever; watery eyes, runny nose, dry cough, hoarseness, upper respiratory tract infection and conjunctivitis;... Measles rash usually appears on the 4th-6th day of the disease but can still appear on the first day of fever. The characteristic of measles rash is a papular rash (raised rash on the skin surface), when it disappears, it will leave very characteristic dark spots on the skin, commonly known as "tiger stripes".
However, if you detect the following signs in your child, take him or her to the nearest medical facility immediately: The child has a continuous high fever of 39°C-40°C; difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, fatigue, not eating or playing, lethargy, rash all over the body but still has a fever...
Increase measles vaccination with enough doses and on schedule
According to Dr. Do Quoc Tiep, Director of the Provincial CDC, measles is an infectious disease caused by the measles virus, commonly found in children under 5 years old. The disease is transmitted through the respiratory tract, through the nasal and throat secretions of an infected person released into the air when the patient coughs, sneezes, talks, etc. One case of measles can infect many people. If not detected early and treated promptly, the disease can cause dangerous complications, even death. However, there is currently no specific treatment for measles.
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The provincial CDC director recommends: To best protect children from the increasing measles situation as well as to join hands to increase community immunity, parents should take their children to medical facilities to get vaccinated against measles according to the instructions of the Ministry of Health. Two doses of measles vaccine are given in the Expanded Immunization Program when children are 9 months old and 18 months old. If children are late for measles vaccination, parents should have them vaccinated as soon as possible.
In addition, parents also need to wear masks for children in crowded places; wash hands with soap regularly; and give children adequate food and drink to increase resistance to seasonal diseases.
In addition, kindergartens and schools need to be kept clean and airy, and toys, learning tools and classrooms should be regularly disinfected with common disinfectants. When signs of fever, cough, runny nose, or rash are detected, the child should be isolated early and taken to the nearest medical facility for timely examination and treatment advice.
| “For Minh Hoa district, where the number of measles cases is currently the highest, the provincial CDC has directly coordinated with the Minh Hoa District Health Center to monitor, investigate and verify information about cases in the area, conduct community epidemiological investigations, compile a list of people in close contact with patients; provide guidance to commune and town health stations and people on disease information and measures to prevent and control measles. The Minh Hoa District People's Committee has also planned to deploy measles vaccination in the area, to prevent an increase in measles cases and outbreaks,” shared Dr. Do Quoc Tiep. |
Huong Le
Source: https://www.baoquangbinh.vn/suc-khoe/202412/khong-chu-quan-voi-benh-soi-2223399/
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