On the morning of October 19, a working delegation from the HCMC Department of Health, led by Associate Professor Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Health Department, conducted an inspection of disease prevention and control work at Hai Ba Trung Secondary School, with the participation of representatives from the Department of Education and Training, the HCMC Pasteur Institute, hospitals, and local authorities.
At the conference, a representative from the HCMC Center for Disease Control (HCDC) reported in detail on the epidemiological situation, as well as the process of detecting, contact tracing, and handling the disease cluster; leaders of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases updated the situation regarding the admission, treatment, and health progress of the patients; and school representatives reported on environmental cleaning and disinfection, student health monitoring, and the implementation of disease prevention and control measures in the school environment.
Upon identification of the cluster, health authorities swiftly implemented a series of control measures to halt further transmission. These included comprehensive environmental cleaning and disinfection, administration of prophylactic antibiotics, and the compilation of a monitoring list for close contacts. All 177 identified close contacts, comprising 163 students and 14 family members or household cohabitants, completed the prescribed antibiotic prophylaxis and have been placed under daily health surveillance.
At the same time, to proactively and thoroughly break the transmission chain, the health sector expanded the distribution of prophylactic antibiotics to all students, staff, teachers, and school personnel, bringing the total number of individuals receiving prophylaxis to 2,031 people.
From October 17 to the morning of October 19, no new cases of meningococcal disease were detected among this contact group. As of the morning of October 19, Ho Chi Minh City has recorded a total of 4 cases of serogroup B meningococcal disease, including 1 fatality on October 14 and 3 cases currently undergoing treatment at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases with stable health, who will continue to receive full doses of antibiotics prior to discharge.
At the session, Doctor Luong Chan Quang, Head of the Department of Infectious Disease Control at the city Pasteur Institute, assessed that the measures taken to handle the disease cluster in Hiep Phuoc Commune by the HCDC were implemented very methodically and proactively.
Medical experts unanimously agreed that the meningococcal disease cluster at Hai Ba Trung Secondary School has been well controlled thanks to transmission-blocking measures following guidelines from the Ministry of Health; the school environment meets the conditions to maintain normal teaching and learning activities.
"Currently, it is the season for increased acute respiratory infections, especially seasonal flu, so it is necessary to continue monitoring, early detection, and advising people with fever or respiratory symptoms to seek examination at medical facilities for appropriate treatment guidance," Doctor Luong Chan Quang noted.
Delivering concluding remarks at the session, Associate Professor Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Department of Health, affirmed that the transmission chain has been well controlled. Addressing the anxiety that led some parents to temporarily keep their children home from school, the Department of Health affirmed that the school environment is currently secured safe, based on scientific data and urgent response measures over past days.
Based on the actual situation, the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Training agreed not to implement online learning options as suggested by some parents; parents can rest assured when sending their children to school.
To ensure ongoing safety, the head of the HCMC health sector requested that the Commune Health Station closely monitor the health of the 177 close contacts (163 students and 14 cohabitants of the patients) through October 25. Individuals who have taken prophylactic antibiotics still need to monitor their health and report to medical facilities immediately upon developing suspicious symptoms.
"The HCMC Department of Health continues to deploy appropriate control measures, timely update information, and coordinate with relevant units to protect the health of students, teachers, and the community," Associate Professor Tang Chi Thuong emphasized.
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