HCM CITY — The Ministry of Health has approved a campaign to provide two-in-one vaccines against measles and rubella for children aged 1 to 5 in high-risk areas, with the aim of increasing immunisation coverage.

As of September 17, about 1,000 incidences of measles had been recorded in 37 provinces and cities nationwide so far this year.

The campaign’s first phase, which starts next month and ends in December, will take place in 156 high-risk districts in 20 provinces and cities.

The second phase from January to February will occur in 262 high-risk districts in 37 provinces and cities.

Children who received vaccinations less than one month before the start of the campaign do not need to be vaccinated.

The campaign will be carried out in kindergartens, nurseries, and health stations in communes and wards.

The ministry said the number of measles in Việt Nam this year increased by 22.3 times compared to last year. Of these, one patient died.

Hà Nội and Lào Cai, Thanh Hóa, Sơn La, Quảng Ninh and Điện Biên provinces had the largest number of measles cases.

Although the coverage rate for the vaccine against measles is high, it has not reached 95 per cent.

Even with a rate of 90 per cent, the risk of contracting measles is fairly high.

To eliminate measles, the rate should be 95 per cent of children under two years old.

This year, the ministry has added the two-in-one vaccine against measles and rubella in 33 high-risk districts in six provinces of Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Thanh Hóa, Lai Châu, Điện Biên and Sơn La, leading to a higher coverage rate of more than 95 per cent.

In HCM City alone, Nguyễn Hữu Hưng, deputy director of the Department of Health, told Vietnam News Agency that the city had 34 more incidences of measles from October 5-11, rising to 181 this year.

Three clusters of measles outbreak occurred in the city’s districts of 9, Bình Thạnh and Tân Phú.

The department has instructed health stations in wards and communes to carry out the measles campaign in the city.    

The city has also more patients with hand-foot-mouth disease and dengue fever in the last several weeks.

Between October 5 and 11, the number of children with hand-foot-mouth disease was more than 2,860, an increase of 25 per cent compared to September, raising the city’s total to nearly 25,000.

The figure increased by 5 per cent against the same period last year.

The incidences of dengue fever from October 5 to 11 totalled 1,447, an increase of 40 per cent compared to last month. — VNS