Measles outbreak returns in 4 localities.

Son La, Yen Bai, Hoa Binh, and most recently Nghe An have recorded a resurgence of measles. These provinces all report very high measles vaccination rates throughout the province, but at the commune level, some areas have low vaccination rates.

In Pieng Coc village, Mai Son commune, Tuong Duong district, 49 cases of measles-like rash have been recorded; mainly children aged 1-12 years.

This is a village inhabited by the H'Mông and Thái ethnic groups, with difficult transportation conditions and low measles vaccination rates in previous years, thus posing a risk of measles outbreaks.

Dozens of children from mountainous areas suspected of having measles are being treated at a makeshift camp in Pieng Cu village (Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province). Photo: VietNamNet

Mr. Tran Dac Phu, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), said that this area borders a Laotian village currently experiencing a measles outbreak. This is a remote and isolated area inhabited by ethnic minorities. The pre-measles vaccination rate is not yet high.

To promptly control and prevent the spread of the epidemic, the Department of Preventive Medicine has sent a document to the Nghe An Department of Health requesting close monitoring of the disease situation, early detection to carry out isolation and thorough handling of outbreaks; focusing resources on organizing examination, treatment, care and isolation of patients to prevent deaths and cross-infection within medical facilities. At the same time, mobile epidemic control teams and mobile emergency teams are being deployed to the area to support local efforts in treating patients.

In addition, the Department also requested localities to immediately organize vaccination in mountainous, remote, border, and ethnic minority areas where there is a risk of outbreaks.

Following the measles outbreak nationwide last April, the Ministry of Health requested localities to intensify measles vaccination campaigns for children. As a result, vaccination rates reported by most localities to the Ministry were very high, exceeding 90%. However, measles has now re-emerged in some areas.

Mr. Phu stated that, in reality, some localities have not yet completed this catch-up vaccination campaign. For example, Nghe An province reported a very high vaccination rate for the entire province, over 96%, but some communes had very low rates.

Furthermore, the previous vaccination campaign only focused on catching up on children aged 1-2 years. Therefore, the current measles-rubella vaccination campaign will vaccinate children aged 1-14 years. Children will only develop immunity against the disease two weeks to one month after vaccination.

According to vietnamnet