Two deaths related to measles were reported at the Bach Mai central hospital in Hanoi, bringing the total fatalities both directly due to the disease and related complications to 132, the Health Ministry reported on May 1.

The day also saw an additional 51 measles cases nationwide, raising the total measles incidence this year to 3,883.

The Health Ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department said the vaccination campaign nationwide has helped increased the vaccinated rated to 84.8 percent, with 16 cities and provinces achieving rates of more than 95 percent. Forty other localities have brought the rate of vaccinated children to between 75-90 percent, while the remaining seven reported rates ranging from 60-70 percent.

The Health Ministry has started a plan on giving free measles vaccinations to children from 2 to under 10 years old in localities with high risk of the disease.

The vaccination campaign will be conducted from May to July.

According to the Health Ministry, localities of high risk of measles are Hanoi, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang, Vinh Phuc and Quang Ninh provinces in the north, the central provinces of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa, and Binh Duong province and Ho Chi Minh City in the south.-VNA