Nghe An promotes measles vaccination campaign to prevent epidemics
The total number of children in four groups who will continue to be vaccinated against measles this time is 58,526.
Increase vaccine coverage to prevent and control measles
From the beginning of 2025 until now,Nghe An1,210 cases of rash fever suspected of measles have been recorded in 20/21 localities. Of which, rash fever cases suspected of measles are concentrated in Ky Son district (585 cases), Tuong Duong district (130 cases) and Vinh city (207 cases; appearing sporadically in the area).
Nghe An Health Department stated: The occurrence of many measles cases is due to the low vaccination rate in some mountainous districts, so measles epidemics still have the potential to break out. Although some localities have a high vaccination rate of 95%, there are still 5% who are not vaccinated, which accumulates each year and creates an immunity gap. The vaccination rate in some localities does not meet the requirements at the commune level.
Measles has experienced large epidemics, occurring in cycles of about five years due to the accumulation of non-immune individuals in the community.
Measles used to be a disease that almost all children got. Years of widespread vaccination have successfully controlled measles.
To prevent outbreaks, vaccination coverage of ≥ 95% with 02 doses of measles vaccine in the community is required.
Through epidemiological investigation and analysis, on February 27, 2025, Nghe An Department of Health issued Plan No. 646/KH-SYT on implementing the vaccination campaign to preventpandemicMeasles vaccination for children from 6 months to under 9 months old in Nghe An province in 2025. (Children from 6 months to under 9 months old are not vaccinated against measles in the expanded immunization program).
The plan sets a target of 95% of children from 6 months to under 9 months old in Nghe An (including transient subjects) to be vaccinated with 1 dose of measles vaccine. The implementation period is from March 3, 2025 to March 31, 2025. It is estimated that the number of children from 6 months to under 9 months old who need to be vaccinated is 11,968.
Implementing Plan No. 646/KH-SYT, from March 6, 2025, districts, cities and towns in the province have started to vaccinate children from 6 months to under 9 months old against measles. As of March 18, 2025, 18/21 localities have deployed vaccination; the total number of vaccinated children is 4,282 (reaching 35.7%). There are 3 localities that have not yet deployed vaccination: Con Cuong district, Do Luong district and Vinh city (started vaccination on March 20, 2025).
According to the assessment of Nghe An Department of Health: The progress of measles vaccination for children from 6 months to under 9 months old is still slow and does not meet the requirements. It is necessary to speed up the progress of measles vaccination for these subjects; absolutely must not miss any subjects.
Continue to vaccinate 58,526 children against measles
Not only Nghe An, many other provinces and cities across the country are also facing measles epidemics. Since the beginning of the year, the whole country has recorded 38,807 suspected cases of measles in 63 provinces and cities. Of which, 3,447 cases tested positive for measles in 61 provinces and cities; 05 deaths related to measles.
On March 18, 2025 and March 19, 2025, the Ministry of Health issued Decision No. 905/QD-BYT, Decision No. 906/QD-BYT and Decision 909/QD-BYT to implement a measles vaccination campaign for children aged 1-10 years old.
The Ministry of Health has set a target of 95% of children who have not been vaccinated or have not received enough doses of measles-containing vaccine as prescribed to be vaccinated with 01 dose of measles-containing vaccine. The campaign must be completed by March 31, 2025 at the latest.
Thus, from now until the end of March 2025, Nghe An will carry out two parallel campaigns of the Ministry of Health and the Nghe An Department of Health. In addition, it will also carry out an expanded immunization program to inject vaccines containing measles components.
There are 4 groups of people vaccinated against measles in this phase, namely: Children from 6 months to 9 months old; from 9 months to 12 months old; children from 1 year to 5 years old who have not been fully vaccinated with measles-containing vaccine and are given catch-up doses (using measles-containing vaccine in the Expanded Immunization Program according to the Expanded Immunization Plan in 2025); children from 6-10 years old who have not been fully vaccinated with measles-containing vaccine according to regulations... The total number of children in the 4 groups vaccinated in this phase is 58,526.
Information from Nghe An Provincial Center for Disease Control: The unit currently has enough measles and measles-rubella vaccines for children of regular vaccination age and catch-up and booster vaccination for all ages. The total number of doses available is nearly 77,000 doses.
To successfully deploy 2 measles vaccination campaigns and effectively implement the expanded immunization program, Nghe An Department of Health requires medical units to focus on reviewing vaccination subjects within the scope of expanded immunization and the ongoing campaign; deploy catch-up vaccination, regular vaccination for all subjects who have not been fully vaccinated, catch-up vaccination of the measles-Rubella vaccination campaign and continue to vaccinate measles for children 6 to under 9 months old, children from 1 to 10 years old... to ensure supplementation and filling of immunity gaps.
