In the past month, a total of 204,423 doses of the measles vaccine have been administered. This includes 42,049 doses for children aged 1-5 and 140,886 doses for children aged 6-10 while 21,488 doses for other groups. Despite this, the city recorded 111 new measles cases last week, a 25.8 percent increase compared to the previous four weeks. The total number of measles cases since the beginning of the year has reached 846.
Ho Chi Minh City has largely completed its mass measles vaccination campaign as of September 30.
The city's vaccination coverage rate for two doses of the measles vaccine for children aged 1-5 has reached 95.09 percent. This is expected to help control the measles outbreak.
However, a survey conducted by the HCMC Center for Disease Control showed that some children living in districts with a high influx of migrants were not recorded in the vaccination system. This indicates that the actual vaccination coverage rate may be lower than the reported 95 percent.
To address this issue, the HCMC Health Department has requested that administrations in districts and Thu Duc City People's Committees continue to conduct thorough surveys to identify unvaccinated children. They have also emphasized the importance of increasing public awareness and encouraging parents to vaccinate their children.
In essence, while HCMC has made significant progress in its measles vaccination campaign, ongoing efforts are needed to ensure that all children are protected.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has urged the People's Committees of districts and Thu Duc City to persist in instructing relevant units to conduct door-to-door visits to ensure that no children who have not received measles vaccinations are overlooked.
Furthermore, there is a call to enhance awareness campaigns and encourage parents to vaccinate their children in accordance with the health sector's guidelines.
