Ministry of Health urgently changes measles treatment regimen

Currently, measles epidemic is occurring in 60/63 provinces and cities, with nearly 7,000 cases.

The measles epidemic has appeared in 59 provinces and cities with the number of cases reaching several thousand people, including 25 deaths. However, the Ministry of Health still believes that it is not time to declare an epidemic. Worryingly, the number of children with measles, pneumonia, and respiratory failure is still increasing.

What is the current development of measles? Why does the hospital say it is unusual, but the Ministry of Health has not announced an epidemic and affirmed that the virus strain has not changed in the past 38 years? Why was the goal of eliminating measles postponed to 2017 instead of 2015 as originally planned? To learn more about this issue, we had a conversation with Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dac Phu, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine - Ministry of Health.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dac Phu, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine - Ministry of Health.

Reporter: Up to this point, many hospitals have said that the measles epidemic is unusual, while the Ministry of Health has affirmed that it is not time to declare an epidemic. So how serious is the measles epidemic, sir?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dac Phu: The epidemic is currently occurring in 60/63 provinces and cities, with nearly 7,000 cases, and there are also small concentrated epidemics in some communes and districts of some northern mountainous provinces. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the number of cases is scattered, not concentrated outbreaks, but with high numbers. Currently, we are also seeing overload, many hospitalized patients, and also severe patients at the National Children's Hospital, the Department of Pediatrics at Bach Mai Hospital, and Saint Paul Hospital. However, neighboring provincial hospitals have no or very few patients.

However, when to declare a measles epidemic must be implemented according to Decision 64/2010/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister. Based on the conditions: first, the epidemic is higher than the annual average in the locality; second, the localities cannot control it, then declare the epidemic. When 2 provinces declare the epidemic and request the Ministry of Health to declare the epidemic, then the Ministry of Health will declare it. Or when there is an abnormality in the virus, an abnormality in the speed of spread, the Ministry of Health can also declare the epidemic.

Currently, the provinces are still controlling the disease so the Ministry has not announced it yet. And the Ministry of Health, through research, has not found any unusual changes in genetic variation so it has not announced the epidemic yet.

However, the fact that we have not announced it does not mean that we have not informed the people about the epidemic situation, nor does it mean that we have not implemented epidemic prevention measures. Since February, the Ministry of Health has launched a vaccination campaign and announced the measles epidemic situation and the risk of a measles outbreak in 63 provinces and cities across the country. Currently, we are continuing to provide research to provide people with information about measles, while also strongly promoting the people's response to the measles vaccination campaign. Families with children who have not been vaccinated or have not had measles will be organized to get vaccinated in March and April.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien "inspected" the treatment of children with severe complications due to measles at the National Children's Hospital. (Photo: Dan Tri)

Reporter: The health sector has confirmed that for the past 38 years, the measles virus strain has not changed, so why do hospitals report that the measles epidemic is developing abnormally, with the number of children with measles, pneumonia, and respiratory failure increasing?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dac Phu: That is also an issue we need to research. Why are the deaths concentrated in the Northern region, not in the Southern regions? There are also patients with other diseases such as pneumonia due to other causes, or pneumonia in parallel with underlying diseases. For example, complications after measles, immunodeficiency and other diseases. However, not all causes of diseases caused by viruses or other bacteria can be researched and answered immediately. The Ministry of Health is actively researching to explain this issue, at the same time serving the current diagnosis, treatment and emergency care of patients.

PV: If the measles virus strain does not mutate, why is the Ministry of Health rushing to change the treatment regimen, sir?

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dac Phu: Changing the treatment regimen is not based on the virus strain. Changing the treatment must be based on the clinical symptoms, the patient's medical condition, based on the experience gained during the treatment process and what additional experience is currently available to supplement. Supplementing the treatment regimen is always updated. For example, when we see that the experience of this hospital is good, we will update it when treating. Or when we see that this type of medicine is good, we will include it in the treatment regimen without depending entirely on the pathogen.

We changed the study because we found that after treating measles patients, doctors also gained experience in treating severe patients, limiting the number of deaths, which is now being updated in the treatment regimen.

PV: Thank you!./.

According to VOV.VN