HCM CITY — The number of people hospitalised in HCM City with contagious diseases this year has sharply increased compared with the same period a year ago, according to the city’s Preventive Medicine Centre.

So far this year, there have been 10,115 cases of dengue fever, an increase of 243 per cent.

The number of hand, foot and mouth disease cases increased by 22 per cent, while the number of measles patients increased by 1,560.

Every district has suffered from outbreaks of measles, with 8, Bình Tân and Bình Chánh reporting the highest numbers.

Of the 1,564 cases this year 96 per cent did not get vaccinated and 48 per cent were children aged 18 months to 10 years.   

The centre warned that people should take preventive measures such as getting vaccinated.

Vaccine ComBE Five

Under a plan to replace the Korean-made Quinvaxem five-in-one vaccine in the national expanded immunisation programme, the city started using the ComBE Five from February 11.

It protects infants against five common life-threatening diseases – diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type B.

This year 6,153 infants had got the vaccine as of March 21. Of them, 597 had normal reactions such as fever, swelling at the vaccination site and others.

There were no cases of severe complications from the vaccine, according to the city Department of Health.

In January the department had instructed the centre to collaborate with Paediatrics Hospital No.1 to provide training to staff at the vaccine supply facility in all 24 district health centres, 314 ward and commune health stations, 14 hospitals and other centres.

It was aimed at teaching them to monitor and treat infants suffering from severe reactions to vaccination.

The centre urged people to take their children to health stations near their house to get counselling and vaccinations.

Every child in the city is entitled to free vaccinations under the national expanded immunisation programme. VNS