The Long An Provincial Department of Health announced that it had just issued a document requesting medical examination and treatment facilities in communes, city medical centers and the Long An Provincial Center for Disease Control (CDC) to focus on implementing preventative measures against the fatal disease.
Director Huynh Minh Phuc from Long An Provincial Department of Health urged medical facilities to admit patients, offer urgent care, provide treatment, categorize examinations, isolate and manage treatment, and control hospital-acquired infections to avoid spreading infections among patients.
Furthermore, he asked healthcare facilities to increase sample collection to verify the kind of pathogens according to the present regulations as well as ensure adequate supplies of drugs to treat measles and complications of measles infection, and contact the CDC to provide high-dose Vitamin A to support measles treatment.
Furthermore, in accordance with the Ministry of Health's directives, medical facilities must expeditiously review patients who are of measles vaccination age to prepare for the launch of the measles vaccination campaign. This includes strengthening their measles communication efforts in conjunction with community outreach initiatives at inpatient departments.
Plus, these facilities must medical facilities must keep administering the measles vaccine to patients enrolled in the Expanded Immunization Program as well as those receiving a catch-up immunization and those who have not had a vaccination.
Simultaneously, medical facilities also keep a close eye on the measles pandemic, aggressively bolstering surveillance, early identification, and prompt, comprehensive handling of outbreaks to prevent them from spreading across the population.
Last but not least, healthcare institutions must increase communications over the risk of infection and preventative measures against the disease including a focus on the benefit of vaccination to raise local residents' awareness so that parents will take their children to nearby medical establishments for immunization on schedule.
Ben Tre Province has seen rising measles cases and the illness development is getting more difficult to control. A strategy for measles prevention and response in Ben Tre Province in 2024 has just been developed by the Department of Health in Ben Tre Province. At the same time, it organizes catch-up vaccinations and measles and rubella vaccinations for children aged 1-3 years old.
The Ben Tre Department of Health reports that over the period from August 25 to the beginning of the year, of 90 suspected measles cases experiencing rash fever were reported throughout the province, 53 of these cases tested positive for measles viral. Currently, Ben Tre possesses enough measles vaccinations to protect youngsters up to the increased immunization age.
Since the beginning of June, there has been an upsurge in the number of measles cases among children in Dong Thap Province, with cases reported in all 12 districts and cities within the province.
Worse, according to Dong Thap General Hospital, from June to July 13, the hospital received and treated 36 children with measles. Among them, many children have not been vaccinated against measles.
Doctor Le Thanh Tung, Head of the Dong Thap General Hospital's Department of Infectious Diseases said that currently, the availability of the measles vaccine facilitates the prevention of the disease; so it is recommended that people take their children to local facilities for vaccination. He advised children with chronic diseases or immunodeficiency to receive additional measles vaccinations to strengthen and enhance immunity to prevent measles.
About 130 cases with positive measles test results that were treated both locally and outside the province have been reported in Ca Mau thus far.
The Department of Health of Ca Mau Province, according to Deputy Director Tran Quang Khoa, has sent an official dispatch to the Department of Preventive Medicine and the Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City to propose the measles vaccination campaign for children aged 1-10 who have not received all recommended vaccinations against measles for localities based on an assessment of the WHO toolkit and the group of high-risk medical staff. This is being done in an effort to proactively prevent and control measles outbreaks in the area.
The Department of Health in the province of Ca Mau advises people to take proactive steps to prevent infections and enhance their health, particularly for adults and children, since we are currently in the midst of the rainy season.
It is recommended that parents bring their kids to medical facilities so they can have their vaccinations on time and completely (for diseases including the flu, whooping cough, meningococcus, diphtheria, measles, rubella, and whooping cough). When they experience symptoms of infectious diseases, they should go immediately to the nearest medical facility for timely consultation, examination and treatment.
