Local authorities nationwide are exerting every effort to eliminate the outbreaks of measles as soon as possible.

Medical staff in the northern province of Phu Tho have prepared every necessary technical infrastructure and medicine to cure the disease which might spread further in the coming time.

Besides enhancing communication campaigns to raise the public awareness of the issue and effective precautions, doctors and nurses will provide vaccination for nearly 9,000 local children.

Elsewhere in the southern province of Binh Phuoc, the Preventive Medical Department has worked out a measles vaccination plan for children between 9 and 24 months old.

It is striving to provide full vaccination for 95 percent of children in the age group.

Meanwhile, the Central Highland province of Dak Lak has approved a 100-million-VND (4,700 USD) package for anti-measles work. More than 80 percent of children have received vaccination against the disease.

The northern border province of Lang Son, which sees only a small number of measles patients, is also working hard to ensure sufficient vaccination at 226 local clinics.

Statistics showed that as of March, nearly 9,700 nine-old-month children were not fully vaccinated, while those under five months old have yet to receive the vaccination in the province.

On April 23, the Medicine Management Department under the Health Ministry issued an official document on preparing sufficient measles and chickenpox vaccination.

The vaccination stations are allowed to order the number of doses directly from foreign importers.

A total of 3,569 measles cases were recorded as of April 23 in 61 out of 63 cities and provinces, with children under 10 years of age accounting for 68.3 percent, according to the Health Ministry.

A majority of patients (86.4 percent) were not vaccinated against the disease, while 9.9 percent of the patients had acquired just one shot of vaccine while at least two shots are required.

The disease has claimed 25 lives so far, but the number of fatalities from measles complications has amounted to 108.

Vietnam is in the stage of curbing measles and expects to eliminate the disease by 2017.-VNA