Vigilance for measles must be maintained
Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi has urged the city’s doctors and nurses to maintain their constant vigilance for measles despite a decline in its new cases, describing the work a fight.
Visiting the Dong Da General Hospital and the Central Pediatrics Hospital to inquire into their measles control on April 26, Nghi pledged that Hanoi will do everything it can to “fight” against the outbreak to the last.
Thirty-seven cases of measles and two fatalities were recorded in 25 out of the country’s 63 provinces and cities on the day, said the Health Ministry’s Preventive Health Department.
The Central Pediatrics Hospital is treating 230 patients, including 20 admitted on the day. Meanwhile, the Central Hospital of Tropical Diseases is taking care of 79 patients of measles, of whom 12 were taken to during the day.
According to the department, vaccination coverage across the country is on the rise, reaching 76.2 percent by the day.
Four provinces having measles vaccination coverage below 50 percent are in the Mekong delta region, namely An Giang, Tien Giang, Bac Lieu and Long An.
Health experts continue to fan out to examine preventive measures in Hanoi, the Mekong delta city of Can Tho, central Thanh Hoa province, central coastal Khanh Hoa province, central Da Nang city and northern Thai Binh province.
In the meantime, the Health Ministry is working on a plan on giving supplementary measles shots for children aged from two to ten in localities recording a high number of infections.
It is also intensifying the publicity of preventive measures in society.