Hospitals nationwide are witnessing a surge in cases of dengue fever, measles, whooping cough, and respiratory illnesses. Healthcare professionals cautioned that the increasing threat of infectious disease outbreaks may significantly burden the healthcare system unless effective preventive actions are taken.
Dr. Nguyen Minh Tien, Deputy Director of the City Children's Hospital, has noted that the dengue fever epidemic is developing in a complex way, even before the onset of the rainy season.
The hospital frequently admits numerous critical cases, which include complications such as respiratory failure, blood clotting disorders, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver damage, and multiple organ failure. A significant number of children are misdiagnosed when evaluated at primary healthcare facilities and private clinics, as the clinical manifestations of dengue fever are not adequately recognized.
So far this year, Ho Chi Minh City has reported over 13,400 dengue fever cases, including 659 from just last week, making it the region's hotspot with 25 percent of all cases in the Southern region including a death of a female resident in Binh Chanh outlying district.
In Hanoi, Deputy Director Khong Minh Tuan of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control reported that during the first week of December, the capity city recorded approximately 580 new cases of dengue fever. Since the beginning of 2024, the cumulative total has surpassed 8,000 cases, with 45 outbreaks still remaining uncontrolled.
According to the Ministry of Health, since the beginning of the year, 20 provinces and cities in the Southern region have recorded 19,000 measles cases. The group with the most measles cases is children aged 1-10, accounting for about 60 percent of the total number of cases.
The epidemic is still increasing rapidly in many localities, with 46 active outbreaks. Amongst them, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City are the three provinces and cities with the highest number of measles cases.
In Ho Chi Minh City, hospitals are treating a growing number of measles patients from various areas, with a notable rise in adults facing serious complications.
According to Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, most measles cases in the city are living in districts bordering Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces.
HCMC health authorities are drastically implementing the vaccination program. Health workers go to each households in the city encouraging parents to take their children to infirmaries for immunization.
Leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health urged hospitals to effectively isolate and treat measles cases, enhance outpatient care, maintain consultations with higher-level facilities, and limit patient referrals to minimize the risk of widespread infection.
Dr. Nguyen Vu Thuong, Deputy Director of the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, reported that the measles vaccination campaign in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, and Binh Duong has achieved coverage rates of 95 percent or higher, with Ho Chi Minh City even exceeding 100 percent. Despite this success, the number of infections continues to rise, including among individuals within the vaccinated age group.
