Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan visited the National Children's Hospital and Bach Mai Hospital's Institute of Tropical Medicine yesterday to inspect the screening, triage, admission, and treatment of pediatric and adult measles patients.
From the beginning of 2025 until now, the National Children's Hospital has recorded more than 2,700 cases of measles. Currently, the hospital examines and screens about 70-90 cases per day on average, with more than 100 cases per day at peak times. Worse, 13 patients who suffered complex underlying diseases such as pneumonia, premature birth, metabolic disorders, biliary atresia, meningitis, and biliary atresia succumbed to the fatal disease.
Deputy Director Cao Viet Tung of the National Children's Hospital reported that concurrent with a rise in pediatric measles cases, the clinical presentation of the disease this year is frequently atypical and challenging to diagnose. Some children only have a fever, and others have diarrhea before developing a rash, which makes it difficult for parents to identify the illness early.
Clarifying further on vaccination, Head Le Kien Ngai of the Infection Control Department in the National Children's Hospital said that among the patients admitted to the hospital for examination and treatment, nearly 70 percent of children over 9 months old had measles. At this age, children should have been fully vaccinated according to regulations, but nearly 60 percent of children did not receive any vaccine.
Regarding measles adult patients, from the end of 2024 to present, the Institute of Tropical Medicine of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi has examined and treated 104 measles patients, including many severe cases requiring invasive ventilation and the use of an artificial heart-lung system (ECMO).
According to Dr. Do Duy Cuong, Director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, measles patients admitted to the hospital in recent years had more severe complications compared to previous years. The average age of these patients was 30-65 years old.
He noticed a 70-year-old patient with measles who has severe complications and is on a ventilator.
Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan has urged the National Children's Hospital and Bach Mai Hospital to be prepared for various scenarios and to develop tailored response plans that are appropriate for different levels and scales. This preparation is essential for effectively addressing measles outbreaks in any situation. In addition, hospitals must provide sufficient personal protective equipment and medical supplies, as well as ensure that all medical and hospital personnel are fully vaccinated against measles.
As of the start of this year, Hanoi has reported approximately 900 cases of measles. It is forecast that this number may rise further, potentially leading to fatalities. Currently, the vaccination rate for children aged 6 to 9 months stands at only 66 percent, which falls short of the target of over 95 percent. In response, the Hanoi People's Committee has instructed the Department of Health to secure an adequate supply of vaccines and to establish the necessary conditions to facilitate prompt and effective measures for epidemic prevention.
