The incidence of viral encephalitis, including Japanese encephalitis, sofar this year is much lower than that of previous same periods,Director of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Preventive MedicineTran Dac Phu said on July 9.
The department reported that as ofJuly 4, 357 viral encephalitis cases were recorded in 32 out of the 63provinces and cities, down 10.8 percent from a year earlier. Six deathswere recorded, with just one from Japanese encephalitis.
Mostof the cases occurred in northern localities, Phu said, adding thatchildren under 15 years old are most vulnerable to the disease, whichusually prevails in summer, peaking in June, July and August.
Japaneseencephalitis vaccination has been added to the expanded immunisationprogramme since 1997, leading to a drop in the rate of encephalitiscases caused by Japanese encephalitis virus from 61.3 percent in 1995 to10 – 15 percent at present, he added.
Since the beginning of2014, the ministry has expanded Japanese encephalitis vaccination tounder-five children in all 63 provinces and cities.
It plans toprovide 4 million doses of this kind of vaccine for the immunisationprogramme this year, up from 2.3 million in 2013.
In the timeahead, the health sector is set to step up the vaccination and keep aclose watch on the encephalitis situation to timely deal with hotbedsand deliver treatment.-VNA
The department reported that as ofJuly 4, 357 viral encephalitis cases were recorded in 32 out of the 63provinces and cities, down 10.8 percent from a year earlier. Six deathswere recorded, with just one from Japanese encephalitis.
Mostof the cases occurred in northern localities, Phu said, adding thatchildren under 15 years old are most vulnerable to the disease, whichusually prevails in summer, peaking in June, July and August.
Japaneseencephalitis vaccination has been added to the expanded immunisationprogramme since 1997, leading to a drop in the rate of encephalitiscases caused by Japanese encephalitis virus from 61.3 percent in 1995 to10 – 15 percent at present, he added.
Since the beginning of2014, the ministry has expanded Japanese encephalitis vaccination tounder-five children in all 63 provinces and cities.
It plans toprovide 4 million doses of this kind of vaccine for the immunisationprogramme this year, up from 2.3 million in 2013.
In the timeahead, the health sector is set to step up the vaccination and keep aclose watch on the encephalitis situation to timely deal with hotbedsand deliver treatment.-VNA
