Nghe An: Sudden increase in number of children with measles

From January 10 to 17, the hospital received and treated 85 children with measles. The hospital was forced to dedicate the entire Tropical Diseases Department to focus on treating and isolating children with measles, including endoscopy and X-rays performed right in the department.

At this time, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital is treating 66 children with measles. Photo: Thanh Chung

Information from Nghe An Preventive Medicine Center: Also during this period, the whole province recorded 81 cases of measles-like rash. The majority of cases were under 9 months old. The main reason is that the mother had not been vaccinated before pregnancy, so breast milk does not carry antibodies to help the child become immune. Some others over 9 months old were due to illness, so the vaccination was postponed and the parents did not take the child to get vaccinated or did not get vaccinated on schedule, so they did not have enough immunity.

Master, Doctor Nguyen Trong Di - Deputy Head of the Department of Infectious Disease Control, Nghe An Center for Preventive Medicine said: Measles is an epidemic infectious disease caused by the measles virus. The disease is common in children under 5 years old or can also occur in adults, due to not being vaccinated against measles or having been vaccinated but not receiving enough doses. The disease often occurs in winter and spring, when the weather is humid for a long time.

Measles is highly contagious, especially in crowded places such as schools. It is spread through the respiratory tract through droplets from an infected person or through direct contact or through hands contaminated with respiratory secretions containing the virus. Children who have not been vaccinated against measles and people who are not immune to the measles virus can get measles.

Dr. Di also recommends: Parents should take their children from 9 to 12 months to a medical facility to get the first dose of measles vaccine, and the second dose when they are 18 months old. Take your children to get additional measles vaccinations in high-risk areas according to vaccination schedules organized by the health sector and local authorities. Regularly clean your child's nose, throat, and eyes every day. Do not let children share personal items (face towels, toothbrushes, glasses, cups, bowls, chopsticks, etc.), toys, or objects that are easily contaminated with nasal secretions. Clean toys and objects suspected of being contaminated with the patient's nasal secretions with soap or common detergents and clean water.

Parents and teachers need to clean floors, doorknobs, tabletops, chairs, public restrooms or surfaces of objects suspected of being contaminated with the patient's nasal and throat secretions with soap or common detergents 1-2 times/day; keep children home from school when sick; limit large gatherings and meetings, especially in cramped, poorly ventilated rooms in epidemic areas...

Limit contact with people who are sick or suspected of being sick. When in contact with sick people, wear medical masks and personal protective equipment. When there are signs of measles (fever, cough, runny nose, rash), isolate the child early and take the child to the nearest medical facility for examination, timely treatment advice and notify the health authorities. Do not take the child for treatment beyond the prescribed level when not necessary to avoid overload and cross-infection in the hospital.

During this Lunar New Year, the weather is favorable for the measles virus to develop. Everyone needs to prevent measles by vaccinating and regularly monitoring children's health to detect early signs of the disease./