Diphtheria vaccination at Đồng Nai Centre for Disease Control. VNA/VNS Photo

ĐỒNG NAI – Many residents in Đồng Nai Province have been rushing to vaccination centres over the past week to get vaccinated against diphtheria.

Due to the recent diphtheria scare, vaccination centres in Đồng Nai have seen a significant influx of people seeking the vaccine.

At the Đồng Nai Centre for Disease Control on the Wednesday morning, around one hundred people of various ages arrived for diphtheria vaccination. However, due to the sudden spike in demand, the centre ran out of the Belgian 3-in-1 vaccine (diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus) Bosstrix.

Similarly, Đồng Nai Children's Hospital has seen a significant increase in the number of children being brought in for diphtheria vaccination.

Previously, the hospital vaccinated fifty to seventy children per day, but recently, the number has increased by about 30 per cent.

According to the Đồng Nai Department of Health, the total demand for the 5-in-1 vaccine in the province for 2024 is over 90,000 doses. However, as of July 2024, the province has only received 35,500 doses.

Dr. Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa, deputy director of Đồng Nai Children's Hospital, stated that in recent days, the demand for diphtheria vaccination among residents has surged.

The hospital currently has adequate supplies of the 5-in-1 vaccine and other service vaccines to meet the needs of the public, Nghĩa said.

Although the province has not recorded any diphtheria cases, doctors recognise the potential risk due to the missed vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic and the prolonged shortage of the 5-in-1 vaccine in 2023, leading to concerns about a potential outbreak.

Nghĩa said: “The hospital is prepared with isolation and special treatment areas in case of an outbreak. Should a diphtheria case be detected, the patient will be immediately isolated and treated with care provided solely by medical staff. The hospital is also equipped with specific antibiotics for treating diphtheria.”

The doctor advised residents should not to panic.

It is important for the public to understand the disease and proactive measures to prevent it, such as regular handwashing with soap, covering the mouth with a clean cloth or elbow when coughing or sneezing, maintaining personal hygiene, limiting contact with suspected cases, ensuring good hygiene in homes, kindergartens and classrooms and practicing proper food hygiene.

Any signs or suspicion of the disease should be reported to health authorities immediately for isolation, examination and timely treatment, the doctor said. VNS