Since the beginning of the year, the country has recorded over 2,000 measles cases. Currently, 18 provinces and cities are at risk of a measles outbreak, including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Ha Tinh, Dong Nai, Long An, Soc Trang, Binh Phuoc, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, and others. The most concerning is Ho Chi Minh City, which has recorded about 500 measles cases with three deaths. In contrast, from 2021 to 2023, Ho Chi Minh City had only one measles case.
According to Dr. Hoang Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine, with the high number of measles cases exceeding the average of the same period in the past three years, Ho Chi Minh City can declare a measles outbreak.
The increase in measles cases can be directly linked to the shortage of measles vaccine for a long time resulting in decreased measles vaccination coverage. Many children missed vaccinations, creating gaps in the immunity barrier. The measles virus mainly attacks unvaccinated children or those who have not received enough doses, spreading to other groups with weaker immune systems.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also warned about an alarming rise in measles cases and the risk of outbreaks in many regions globally. According to WHO data, Europe recorded over 300,000 measles cases in 2023, more than 30 times the number in 2022. For the Southeast Asian country, 2024 is the year falling into the 4-5 year cycle of measles outbreaks.
Following the complex development of measles, the Ministry of Health recently launched a nationwide measles vaccination campaign with over 1.1 million doses of measles vaccine administered. In this campaign, the vaccination target group has been expanded to children aged 1-10 years, except for those who have already received two doses of the measles vaccine.
Launching the vaccination campaign ahead of the new school year 2024-2025 is very necessary and timely because measles is a highly contagious disease through respiratory transmission. One measles case can infect 12-18 people, while one Covid-19 case can only infect 2-5 people. Therefore, the risk of a measles outbreak in the community is very high if no preventative measures is taken to prevent it.
To prevent measles, the most effective measure is for families to proactively take their children to get the measles vaccine at local health stations as recommended by the Ministry of Health.
Additionally, local administrations and healthcare facilities should urgently review the vaccination status in their areas to organize catch-up vaccinations for children who have not been fully vaccinated before the new school year.
