The Ministry of Public Health has requested People’s Committees in provinces and cities across the country to intensify disease prevention efforts after the Lunar New Year (Tet) and during the 2015 festival season in response to a recent Government directive.

Local health departments were asked to enhance community surveillance of respiratory and airborne diseases, especially the flu from poultry to humans, measles, whooping cough and varicella and limit the spread of any occurrences.

Health examination and treatment centres must prepare to receive patients, provide emergency aid and treat, avoid shifting patients to higher-level medical units whenever possible, and set up isolation areas to limit contagion.

Localities will strengthen and expand national inoculation programmes, especially the measles-rubella and whooping cough vaccine.

Simultaneously, the departments of agriculture and rural development have been ordered to closely monitor the situation and eradicate any bird flu hotbeds, including reporting to the health sector to implement joint measures when necessary.

They will also enhance sanitation and decontamination to contain the spread of avian flu viruses.

Interdisciplinary task forces will work to inspect and manage disease prevention, vaccination and food safety in the coming time.-VNA