This morning, the Ministry of Health issued a warning that families should proactively take their young children to get measles vaccinations at the nearest health stations as the new school year approaches. The increasing number of measles cases has reached an alarming level, posing a significant risk of a widespread outbreak.
The Ministry of Health has stated that most measles cases currently occur in children aged 5-11 who have not been vaccinated. This indicates that many parents are not paying enough attention to vaccinating their children. In particular, children with underlying health conditions, such as congenital heart disease, malnutrition, diabetes, and hematological diseases, need to be fully vaccinated as they are at high risk of contracting measles. Infants under 9 months old can contract the disease from adults if they have not received antibodies from their mothers.
Pregnant women should also be vaccinated against measles.
Currently, measles remains one of the leading causes of death in children under 5 years old and can cause serious complications such as pneumonia, blindness, acute diarrhea, and encephalitis.
The Ministry of Health has noted that since the beginning of 2024, measles vaccines have been fully available at commune and ward health stations. The health sector has called on people to bring their children for vaccination. They have also conducted surveys to identify children who have not received the full dose of the vaccine and have invited them to health stations for supplementary vaccinations.
