Around 40,000 children out of 700,000 children under five years old in Hanoi are at high risk of contracting measles, according to the city’s Centre for Preventive Medicine.
Children at risk are those who have not been given all necessary vaccinations.
The facility has so far reported 181 cases of scarlet fever, likely caused by measles.
In Saint Paul hospital alone, 33 out of 68 samples tested positive for measles, with none of the patients being fully vaccinated against the disease.
In the face of the unpredictable development of the epidemic, the Hanoi Department of Health has urged all the hospitals in the city to organise training sessions, ensuring that patients are able to receive prompt and proper treatment, minimising the rate of complications and fatalities.
It has also requested that vaccinations against measles be carried out, according to Nguyen Khac Hien, Director of the Hanoi Department of Health.
The centre is now working with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on a survey of measles cases in Hanoi in the 2013-2014 epidemic, he noted.
The results of the survey will serve as a basis for preventive measures and treatment to be applied in 2014 and beyond.
Director General of the Preventive Health Department under the Ministry of Health Tran Dac Phu recommended that localities with measles outbreaks provide immediate vaccinations for children at risk.
A national immunisation campaign will also be held in August for children under two years old or those who have not been given full vaccinations, he added.-VNA
Children at risk are those who have not been given all necessary vaccinations.
The facility has so far reported 181 cases of scarlet fever, likely caused by measles.
In Saint Paul hospital alone, 33 out of 68 samples tested positive for measles, with none of the patients being fully vaccinated against the disease.
In the face of the unpredictable development of the epidemic, the Hanoi Department of Health has urged all the hospitals in the city to organise training sessions, ensuring that patients are able to receive prompt and proper treatment, minimising the rate of complications and fatalities.
It has also requested that vaccinations against measles be carried out, according to Nguyen Khac Hien, Director of the Hanoi Department of Health.
The centre is now working with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on a survey of measles cases in Hanoi in the 2013-2014 epidemic, he noted.
The results of the survey will serve as a basis for preventive measures and treatment to be applied in 2014 and beyond.
Director General of the Preventive Health Department under the Ministry of Health Tran Dac Phu recommended that localities with measles outbreaks provide immediate vaccinations for children at risk.
A national immunisation campaign will also be held in August for children under two years old or those who have not been given full vaccinations, he added.-VNA
