Medical workers conduct a screening for measles in Trà Dơn Commune, Nam Trà My District. — Photo courtesy of the Quảng Nam Centre for Disease Control

QUẢNG NAM — The Department of Disease Prevention (DDP) under the Ministry of Health has asked localities to urgently implement prevention and control measures after two children died and 200 came down with fever and rashes in a suspected measles outbreak in Nam Trà My District, Quảng Nam Province.

According to the DDP, from January 25 to March 10, as many as 255 cases of children with fever and rashes have been admitted to hospitals and treated in Nam Trà My District.

A total of 104 children are being treated at medical facilities in the area, including the Nam Trà My Medical Centre (59), the Obstetrics and Paediatrics Hospital (35) and local medical stations (10). All of the patients are alert with reduced fever, and they can eat and drink, although they are still coughing.

About 149 children have recovered, but two have died.

Previously, the district's Medical Centre had coordinated with the provincial Centre for Disease Control to send samples of suspected measles cases, with 19 confirmed positive for the measles virus.

The two deaths were in Trà Dơn Commune.

Eight-year-old H.T.M.N., from Village 3, had a cough, high fever and diarrhoea since February 26, and stayed home from school.

Village health workers, teachers and village officials tried to persuade the family to take the child to the commune's health station for examination, but the family did not go, instead staying at home to pray.

A few days later, the child vomited and was not able to eat or drink, leading to exhaustion. The child died at 5pm on March 5. Currently, family members are in stable health condition, with no symptoms related to the disease.

The second case was 10-year-old H.T.N.D. from Village 2, who had a cough, fever and diarrhoea since March 2 and also stayed home from school.

Similar to the first case, although village health workers, officials and teachers tried to persuade the family to take the child to the commune's health station for examination, the family refused due to a lack of financial resources. The child suffered from exhaustion and died at 4am on March 9.

The DDP said that infections may continue in the near term, because Nam Trà My District is mountainous and is mainly inhabited by ethnic groups. People are scattered in the highlands, with difficult travel conditions. According to the DDP, many locals still rely on customs like prayer when illness strikes.

Vaccinations and medical care in the area have been a challenge for the health sector for many years.

In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many children were not fully vaccinated against measles.

At the same time, a shortage of vaccines for several months in 2023 affected the vaccination rate for children in the area, creating an immunity gap in the community.

A new vaccination campaign was launched this month, resulting in a nearly 50 per cent vaccination rate in Nam Trà My District.

Prevention

The DDP asked relevant units to immediately strengthen and activate an epidemic prevention system.

The rapid response mobile team must urgently support Nam Trà My District, especially Trà Leng, Trà Dơn and neighbouring communes.

Medical units must conduct investigations and verify cases as well as coordinate with commune authorities and the education sector to proactively grasp the situation, promptly detect sick children and mandate that families take their children to health stations for isolation and treatment.

Local medical sectors must organise online training on measles prevention and treatment and direct the Nam Trà My District Medical Centre to increase staff to support commune health stations, according to the Ministry of Health's regulations.

Medical stations should provide proper examinations and refer serious cases to higher-level treatment, while strictly preventing cross-infections.

The DDP will review and provide high-dose vitamin A supplements to the Nam Trà My District Medical Centre and other facilities treating patients with measles and suspected measles.

Localities must urgently review and organise catch-up vaccinations for children who have not been vaccinated or have not received enough doses of the measles vaccine, especially in areas at risk of measles or with low vaccination rates, and in poorer areas.

The DDP will work with the Quảng Nam Province Department of Health and the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang City to strengthen disease prevention and control.

The Pasteur Institute will support localities in conducting tests to identify the causative agent as soon as possible, before taking appropriate prevention and control measures. — VNS