Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien on April 21 visited several hospitals in Hanoi to inspect the containment of measles there.

Tien pointed out the main reasons for the outbreak of the disease in recent days, including the lack of vaccinations, the concentration of patients in central hospitals and the lack of medical staff.

Humid air also provides the virus with an environment in which to spread, she added.

Since the beginning of this year, more than 3,360 cases of the disease have been reported in 61 out of 63 cities and provinces.

It has claimed 25 lives so far, mostly children aged below 10 years. At the same time, 116 deaths have been caused by complications arising from the disease.

Head of the Medical Examination and Treatment Department Luong Ngoc Khue affirmed that the Health Ministry is carrying out urgent and drastic measures to contain measles in order to reduce fatalities and complication cases.

Hospitals have been asked to keep measles patients isolated to avoid infections spreading to others.

Vaccinations against this disease have been stepped up over recent days. As many as 57.5 percent of unvaccinated children have been given shots during the additional round of the national vaccination campaign.

To help the public fully understand the disease and preventive measures, the ministry also issued an updated guideline on measles diagnosis and treatment.

The guideline has been published in all localities across the country, while experienced doctors have been sent to local hospitals to support them in treatment.-VNA