Vietnam is at high risk of polio virus invasion.

The Ministry of Health requested the People's Committees of provinces and cities to direct the People's Committees at the commune level and departments and organizations at all levels to coordinate with the health sector to resolutely prevent and control polio, especially in provinces and communes bordering Laos.

On November 13, the Ministry of Health sent a document to the People's Committees of provinces and cities; Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology/Pasteur and affiliated hospitals on promoting the prevention and control of polio.

The Ministry of Health stated that since 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized Vietnam as having eradicated polio and acknowledged Vietnam’s efforts in protecting this achievement over the past time. However, the WHO also assessed that at present, Vietnam is one of the countries at high risk of polio virus infection.

The Ministry of Health recommends that localities review and increase polio vaccination.

To promote the work of preventing and controlling polio, the Ministry of Health requests the People's Committees of provinces and cities, directs the People's Committees at commune level and departments and organizations at all levels to coordinate with the health sector to resolutely implement the work of preventing and controlling polio, especially in provinces and communes bordering Laos, and people returning from countries and regions with the epidemic.

Particularly for border provinces bordering Laos, it is necessary to proactively coordinate with Lao border provinces in informing about the polio epidemic situation as well as coordinating the implementation of disease prevention and control.

Direct the Department of Health to closely coordinate with the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology/Pasteur to organize the implementation of polio risk assessment and develop a polio prevention and control plan based on the results of the risk assessment; report the results of the polio risk assessment to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for synthesis and reporting to the Ministry of Health.

All medical facilities in the area must strengthen monitoring and prevention of polio to handle it promptly, minimizing the risk of outbreaks and spread of the disease, especially in communes bordering Laos, and people returning from countries and regions with the epidemic.

At the same time, strengthen the implementation of expanded immunization work, paying special attention to the rate of oral vaccination and the rate of polio vaccination to ensure enough doses of polio-containing vaccines according to regulations; urgently review vaccination history, organize polio vaccination (IPV, bOPV) for cases that have not taken/injected or taken/injected enough doses, especially in high-risk areas.

NGUYEN QUOC

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/viet-nam-co-nguy-co-cao-bi-virus-bai-liet-xam-nhap-post823308.html