Several districts and wards yesterday convened urgent meetings to identify strategies for responding to the rapidly spreading measles outbreak in the area. Deputy Chairman Chau Xuan Dai Thang of the District 7 People's Committee directed the Department of Education and Training to collaborate with the health sector and relevant agencies to oversee and implement measles prevention activities in educational institutions.
Furthermore, a register of children aged between one and five years old, along with their respective vaccination history, is being compiled in order to facilitate the planning of concerted immunisation efforts.
Similarly, in District 12, Deputy Chairman Vo Thi Chinh of the District People's Committee, requested that the respective ward chairpersons direct the relevant community health collaborators to conduct awareness campaigns regarding the implementation of preventive measures.
Deputy Chairman Bui The Hai of the District 10 People's Committee put forth a proposal that leaders of the 10 wards and relevant units undertake a review and compilation of a list of 8,000 children (aged 1-5 years) for immediate vaccination upon the vaccine's availability.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Tăng Chí Thượng, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, the Health Center for Disease Control (HCDC), district health centers, and Thủ Đức City are urgently enhancing community immunity. They are organizing a measles vaccination campaign using the combined measles-rubella (MR) vaccine for children aged 1-5 years, regardless of their vaccination history. Health facilities are actively detecting suspected measles cases with fever and rash, collecting samples for HCDC testing, and reporting within 24 hours as required. If a child is found to have a fever and rash, they should seek medical attention and undergo epidemiological investigation. For patients, health isolation measures are implemented either at home or in health facilities.
Despite the measles outbreak announcement, travelers and those coming to Ho Chi Minh City for work need not worry if they have received the full two doses of the measles vaccine.
In response to the city authorities' announcement of the measles outbreak, representatives from the Ministry of Health clarified yesterday that Ho Chi Minh City meets the requisite professional criteria for declaring an outbreak of this nature. The Ministry of Health recommends that the city continue to mobilize additional resources and implement more robust and decisive epidemic prevention measures.
It is recommended that citizens refrain from panic and instead proactively ensure that children receive complete and timely vaccinations in accordance with the established health guidelines. In order to prevent the further spread of the disease, medical workers advised people not to crowd together but to wash their hands with soap frequently, and don facemasks in public places and crowded areas.
Dr. Hoang Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health, underscored the necessity for enhanced surveillance and prompt identification of disease cases and community outbreaks. It is of the utmost importance that outbreaks are dealt with in a swift and thorough manner in order to prevent the further spread of the disease within the community. It is of the utmost importance to reinforce the implementation of measles vaccination strategies.
Vice President of the Infectious Diseases Association in Ho Chi Minh City Dr. Truong Huu Khanh concurred that the most effective prevention strategy is to vaccinate children who have not yet received the measles vaccine or have not completed the two doses.
After Vietnam’s southern hub Ho Chi Minh City has declared a measles outbreak amid surging infection cases and three fatalities, over 300,000 doses of the measles-rubella vaccine are being transported to Ho Chi Minh City. This vaccine is part of the expanded national immunization program and is produced by the Health Products and Vaccines Research Center (POLYVAC). It is being transported by specialized vehicles from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. The health sector plans to launch a supplementary measles vaccination campaign starting on August 31 and will continue during the National Day holiday on September 2, 2024.
