Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The HoChi Minh City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has instructed districthealth officials to either send messages or call parents of children bornbetween January and September in 2019 to remind themabout vaccination schedules this year.
The immunization coverage rateamong children in the city’s national expanded programme on immunizationin the first six months of the year was only 54.5 percent.
The immunization coverage was lower than thecentre’s goal of 71.3 percent, Dr Le Hong Nga, head of the centre’s infectiousdiseases control division said at a conference reviewing theprogramme.
The expanded programme on immunization hasbeen carried out nationwide since 1985. It provides freevaccines against diseases including hepatitis B, tuberculosis, diphtheria,whooping-cough, tetanus, polio, Haemophilus influenza type b, measles,Japanese encephalitis, and Rubella to children under 5 years old.
In HCM City, the rate of children vaccinatedagainst diphtheria in the first half of the year was 88 percent, whilethe goal was 95 percent, Nga said.
According to the centre, a diphtheriavaccine does not ensure permanent immunity, so a booster injection forchildren and adults is compulsory to prevent the spread of the disease inthe community.
Children as well as adults can contractdiphtheria, the centre said, adding that infections have occurred in theCentral Highlands provinces in the last several months.
The national immunizationprogramme has enough free vaccines, so parents should feelsecure in bringing their children to district health centresfor vaccinations as required by the Ministry of Health’s regulations.
According to Nga, because of the COVID-19pandemic, many parents have been reluctant to bring their children tohealth facilities for vaccinations. In March and April, the city stoppedthe vaccination service because of the COVID crisis.
She suggested that health officials visit housesof parents to remind them about vaccination schedules.
The centre has an application that can beused to make appointments at 24 health centres in districts andhospitals. This helps reduce overcrowding and waiting time for parents andchildren.
To reach a 95 percent rate of childrengetting a diptheria vaccination, the centre plans to compile a listof children who need to be contacted./.
The immunization coverage rateamong children in the city’s national expanded programme on immunizationin the first six months of the year was only 54.5 percent.
The immunization coverage was lower than thecentre’s goal of 71.3 percent, Dr Le Hong Nga, head of the centre’s infectiousdiseases control division said at a conference reviewing theprogramme.
The expanded programme on immunization hasbeen carried out nationwide since 1985. It provides freevaccines against diseases including hepatitis B, tuberculosis, diphtheria,whooping-cough, tetanus, polio, Haemophilus influenza type b, measles,Japanese encephalitis, and Rubella to children under 5 years old.
In HCM City, the rate of children vaccinatedagainst diphtheria in the first half of the year was 88 percent, whilethe goal was 95 percent, Nga said.
According to the centre, a diphtheriavaccine does not ensure permanent immunity, so a booster injection forchildren and adults is compulsory to prevent the spread of the disease inthe community.
Children as well as adults can contractdiphtheria, the centre said, adding that infections have occurred in theCentral Highlands provinces in the last several months.
The national immunizationprogramme has enough free vaccines, so parents should feelsecure in bringing their children to district health centresfor vaccinations as required by the Ministry of Health’s regulations.
According to Nga, because of the COVID-19pandemic, many parents have been reluctant to bring their children tohealth facilities for vaccinations. In March and April, the city stoppedthe vaccination service because of the COVID crisis.
She suggested that health officials visit housesof parents to remind them about vaccination schedules.
The centre has an application that can beused to make appointments at 24 health centres in districts andhospitals. This helps reduce overcrowding and waiting time for parents andchildren.
To reach a 95 percent rate of childrengetting a diptheria vaccination, the centre plans to compile a listof children who need to be contacted./.
VNA
