People are rushing to get vaccinated against measles at private clinics.

(Baonghean.vn) -On the morning of April 21st, at the Nghe An Preventive Medicine Center, the Safpo vaccination room was crowded with hundreds of parents bringing their children for measles vaccinations. Overcrowding occurred, with many people waiting for three days without success.

People are flocking to Safpo vaccination clinic to get their children vaccinated. Nghe An Preventive Medicine Center.

Recently, public opinion has been particularly concerned about the measles outbreak. The fact that 112 children have died from measles and its complications, and over 7,000 children are currently infected nationwide, has caused great anxiety among parents. In Nghe An, although not an epidemic center, the first death from measles on April 18th – an 11-month-old child from Dang Son commune, Do Luong district – has sparked fear and panic among the people. Thousands of people have flocked to health centers to receive supplementary measles vaccinations. Distrusting the vaccines at local health stations, many parents are opting for private vaccination services for peace of mind.

At the Nghe An Preventive Health Center on the morning of April 21st, hundreds of parents brought their children for measles vaccinations. The vaccination room was packed with people, and the area outside was also crowded with people and vehicles. Most were children aged 1-3 years old, but many older children, aged 5-9, were also brought by their parents for vaccination just to be sure, "because maybe the vaccination they received before has expired now."

Ms. Sau, from Hung Loc, Vinh City, held her grandchild outside to escape the stuffiness and said: "I have four grandchildren, and I've had all four of them vaccinated at private clinics from infancy to adulthood. Here, they examine the children first, provide advice before vaccination, and recommend which vaccines are best. I'd rather cut back a little on food and clothing to save money for my grandchildren's vaccinations, so I can have peace of mind, because I'm afraid getting them vaccinated at home might not be as good."

A measles outbreak began in Nghe An province in January 2014. To date, the province has recorded nearly 200 cases of measles. Among these, more than 10 pediatric patients were in critical condition and had to be transferred to higher-level hospitals for treatment. Anxiety and panic are common feelings among many people due to the uncontrolled outbreak of measles in several cities across the country. The rush to get vaccinated at higher-level hospitals and through private vaccination services has caused overcrowding, but everyone is accepting the situation and patiently waiting.

Crowds jostle to register for measles vaccination services in Vinh City.

Many people said they had been waiting here for several days but still hadn't been able to get their children vaccinated. Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan worried: "I brought my child here to register for vaccination three days ago, but we haven't been able to get him vaccinated yet. He already had one dose, and now I heard that many children have measles, so I brought him to get another dose of the 3-in-1 vaccine. But today is the last day of the vaccine, and there are so many people, I don't know if we'll be able to wait for my child's turn..." It is known that most parents bring their children to get the 3-in-1 combined vaccine. The price for each dose is 160,000 VND.

In a conversation with Mr. Pham Minh Dung, Deputy Director of the Nghe An Center for Preventive Medicine, he stated: “Currently, it cannot be said that there is a measles outbreak in Nghe An. The amount of vaccines and medicine for children aged 12-18 months under the national target program is still sufficient. However, people are overly worried about their children's health, leading to an overload at the vaccination centers. The supply of the 3-in-1 vaccine, in particular, is insufficient to meet demand. In the past three days, from April 19th to 21st, approximately 800 doses have been administered, and there is no more vaccine in reserve, nor enough to be transported.”

Mr. Dung also added that the number of measles patients has increased recently, mainly due to unvaccinated individuals or those who had not received the full course of vaccinations. Secondly, it's a return of the epidemic according to established patterns.

Mr. Pham Minh Dung advised that parents should take care of and maintain hygiene for their children, and should not gather children at large vaccination centers but instead take them to local health stations in wards and communes. Overcrowding in one place means many children are exposed to the virus without their parents knowing, leading to cross-infection. Furthermore, vaccinations do not take effect immediately; antibodies only appear after 15 days. If a child shows signs of exposure, they should be taken to the nearest health facility.

Ho Lai