From the outset of 2024, the country has experienced a significant surge in measles cases, exceeding 20,000 suspected infections and 5,000 confirmed diagnoses. Regrettably, fatalities have been documented in several southern provinces and cities. A troubling development is the growing prevalence of measles among adults, frequently associated with serious health consequences.
According to Dr. Vo Truong Quy, Deputy Head of Internal Medicine A of Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, in the past few weeks, the number of measles-related hospitalizations has increased rapidly in both adults and children. Currently, Internal Medicine A is treating about 40 adult patients infected with measles; worse, five of them are in severe condition requiring respiratory support.
Medical experts noted that children often get measles, but adults also face complications and dangers when contracting this disease. They revealed that a 26-week pregnant woman has been recently transferred to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases for treatment of measles.
She experienced premature labor and delivered her infant. The newborn was transferred to Tu Du Hospital for specialized care, but unfortunately, passed away.
Concurrently, a male patient from Binh Thuan province, afflicted with severe pneumonia, was transferred from a local hospital to a facility in Ho Chi Minh City. Following three days of intensive medical intervention, his condition exhibited improvement.
The patient said that at first, he had a cough and a common fever, but he became increasingly tired and exhausted. He was very surprised when the doctor diagnosed him with measles because he thought it was a disease of children.
Dr. Vo Truong Quy said that whether it is an adult or a child, measles can become severe if they have an underlying disease. In particular, pregnant women with measles are very susceptible to miscarriage. He advised women to get vaccinated before planning to have children.
Ho Chi Minh City was the first location in the country to announce a measles epidemic on August 27. Since the beginning of the year, the city has recorded four pediatric fatalities attributed to measles. Nevertheless, the recent implementation of a measles vaccination campaign targeting children aged 1-10 has effectively mitigated the spread of the disease.
However, the outbreaks of measles have been developing complicated in the city’s neighboring localities. For instance, Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces have recorded deaths related to measles.
From the beginning of 2024, the country has experienced a significant surge in measles cases, exceeding 20,000 suspected infections including 5,000 confirmed cases. In comparison to the corresponding period in 2023, the number of suspected measles cases has increased by approximately 53 times while the number of confirmed cases has risen by 111 times.
Amid the surge in measles cases nationwide, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong proposed local administrations to strictly carry out the Prime Minister’s Official Dispatch No. 116/CD-TTg on strengthening measles prevention and control.
Simultaneously, efforts are being made to prevent the spread and outbreak of the disease, minimize the incidence of severe cases and fatalities, and rigorously implement infection control measures to curtail cross-infection and measles outbreaks within medical facilities.
Recently, the Ministry of Health has initiated a large-scale measles vaccination campaign encompassing 31 provinces and cities, targeting children aged 1-10 in high-risk areas, with particular emphasis on children aged 1-5 and healthcare personnel.
By the end of November, localities had administered more than 742,653 doses of the vaccine out of a total target population of 912,027, achieving a vaccination coverage rate of 81.4 percent. The vaccine was provided by the World Health Organization.
