A health worker administers a measles vaccine to a child in HCM City’s District 8. — VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Hằng

HCM CITY — In just the first week of the 2024-25 academic year, HCM City reported several measles outbreaks in primary schools located in four districts.

This was reported at a virtual meeting on Tuesday (September 11) on measles prevention and control chaired by the municipal People’s Committee vice chairwoman Trần Thị Diệu Thúy with relevant departments and representatives of the people’s committees of 21 districts and Thủ Đức city.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy director of the city's Centre for Disease Control Lê Hồng Nga said local schools have experienced measles outbreaks in the first week of the new academic year.

It recorded four measles cases at Phạm Hữu Lầu Primary School in District 7; three cases at Huỳnh Văn Bánh Primary School, and two cases at Lại Hùng Cường Primary School all in Bình Chánh District; two cases at Võ Thị Sáu Primary School in Tân Phú District; and three cases at Nguyễn Văn Tây Primary School in Thủ Đức city.

“The majority of the affected students had not received the complete dosage of the measles vaccine,” Nga said.

From the beginning of the year until now, the city has had 581 cases of measles.

In terms of scale, 16 out of 22 districts, including Thủ Đức city, have seen new case increases compared to the average of the previous four weeks.

Meanwhile, 172 out of 312 wards and communes have reported cases, and 48 wards and communes have seen an increase in the number of cases compared to the average of the previous four weeks.

Nga alerted the public about the surge in measles cases in the city.

“There is a rapid increase in both the number of measles cases and the rate of spread,” she said.

Currently, measles control in schools and communities is being urgently implemented by localities.

The vaccination rate for measles remains low. During the period from August 31 to September 9, the city dispensed 28,229 vaccine doses.

These include 19,821 doses for children aged one to five, 5,260 doses for children aged six to 10, and 3,148 doses for high-risk children and healthcare workers.

Given the current situation, municipal People’s Committee vice chairwoman Trần Thị Diệu Thúy asked the people’s committees of Bình Chánh, Tân Phú and seven districts and Thủ Đức city with outbreaks recorded in schools to give priority to arranging vaccinations in wards and communes.

Specifically, measles vaccinations will be administered to children in residential areas and schools within those wards and communes, with the urgent goal of increasing the measles vaccination rate to the highest possible level, she said.

Tăng Chí Thượng, director of the city Department of Health, said two private vaccination units, VNVC and FPT Long Châu, will support the city’s health sector in the measles vaccination campaign.

He has asked districts to urgently review children between one and 10 years of age who have not been vaccinated or have not received enough vaccinations, and accelerate the vaccination process to control the outbreak.

If the localities need manpower support, the health sector will immediately provide assistance as many vaccination teams are ready.

The four districts with outbreaks in schools have been asked to promptly organise vaccination campaigns for children aged five to 10 years in primary schools. — VNS