Vaccination has failed to stem a rise in the number of children stricken with tuberculosis, reports the manager of the National Hospital for Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease's Paediatrician Department, Hoang Thanh Van.
An average of 40-50 children were hospitalised with the disease each month, she said.
Previously the figure was 20.
"Many families are astonished when their children are diagnosed with tuberculosis because they have been inoculated against the disease," she said.
But vaccines were only 70 percent effective.
If three or four adults in a family suffered from tuberculosis, children could be easily become infected despite vaccination.
An example is the six-month-old son of Nguyen Minh Tien from Ha Noi's Soc Son District.
He has been in the hospital for the disease for almost one month although he was vaccinated at 20 days.
"My wife tested positive for tuberculosis and infected our son," the child's father said. "Now she is isolated from him."
Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease's Paediatrician Department figures show that 40 percent of its patients are infected with pulmonary tuberculosis.
Seventeen percent suffer from tuberculosis of the spinal column and 10 percent tuberculosis of the meninges.
Many types of tuberculosis, including tuberculosis of the spinal column and tuberculosis of the meninges, do not show specific symptoms so patients are usually seriously sick before the infection is noticed.
Numerous children treated at the hospital are stricken with these two types of tuberculosis as well as pulmonary tuberculosis.
Children under five were easily infected, said with the disease, said Hoang Thanh Van.
But so too were older children such as ten-year-old Doan Dinh Duc from northern Nam Dinh province.
"Duc was diagnosed with tuberculosis of the meninges and was given special care for many days," said Van.
"Inquiry showed that four adults in his family suffer from the disease./.
An average of 40-50 children were hospitalised with the disease each month, she said.
Previously the figure was 20.
"Many families are astonished when their children are diagnosed with tuberculosis because they have been inoculated against the disease," she said.
But vaccines were only 70 percent effective.
If three or four adults in a family suffered from tuberculosis, children could be easily become infected despite vaccination.
An example is the six-month-old son of Nguyen Minh Tien from Ha Noi's Soc Son District.
He has been in the hospital for the disease for almost one month although he was vaccinated at 20 days.
"My wife tested positive for tuberculosis and infected our son," the child's father said. "Now she is isolated from him."
Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease's Paediatrician Department figures show that 40 percent of its patients are infected with pulmonary tuberculosis.
Seventeen percent suffer from tuberculosis of the spinal column and 10 percent tuberculosis of the meninges.
Many types of tuberculosis, including tuberculosis of the spinal column and tuberculosis of the meninges, do not show specific symptoms so patients are usually seriously sick before the infection is noticed.
Numerous children treated at the hospital are stricken with these two types of tuberculosis as well as pulmonary tuberculosis.
Children under five were easily infected, said with the disease, said Hoang Thanh Van.
But so too were older children such as ten-year-old Doan Dinh Duc from northern Nam Dinh province.
"Duc was diagnosed with tuberculosis of the meninges and was given special care for many days," said Van.
"Inquiry showed that four adults in his family suffer from the disease./.
