Hà Nội starts mass measles vaccination campaign

Children are vaccinated on the first day of Hà Nội's measles vaccination campaign at the Vân Từ Commune Health Station in Phú Xuyên District. — Photo courtesy of the Hà Nội Department of Health

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội on Monday launched a measles vaccination campaign, expecting to administer about 70,000 vaccinations.

On the first day of the campaign, eight districts, including Long Biên, Phú Xuyên, Phúc Thọ, Thường Tín, Đông Anh, Hoài Đức, Sơn Tây and Thạch Thất, vaccinated children.

The remaining localities will carry out vaccinations until November 15.

To ensure safety and effectiveness, the municipal Department of Health established three inspection teams to evaluate the campaign.

Observations from the Hà Nội Mới (New Hà Nội) reporter showed that at the Vân Từ Commune Health Station in Phú Xuyên District and the Minh Cường Commune Health Station in Thường Tín District, many families brought their children to be vaccinated in response to the campaign early in the morning.

Phú Xuyên District has more than 1,800 children eligible for vaccination, of which the Vân Từ Commune Health Station vaccinated 45.

In Thường Tín District, about 1,200 children are listed for vaccination, of which the Minh Cường Commune Health Station vaccinated 61 cases.

Through inspections at vaccination sites, the Hà Nội Department of Health assessed that the vaccination was carried out carefully by local authorities, in compliance with regulations set by the health sector.

The vaccination sites were arranged reasonably and strictly followed the regulated process, while ahead of the clinics, all children eligible for vaccination were listed and fully informed.

The campaign's goal is that over 95 per cent of children aged one to five, living and studying in Hà Nội, and over 95 per cent of health workers working at treatment facilities with measles patients, who have not received enough doses of vaccines as prescribed, will receive one dose of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine.

Six new patients

A report from the Hà Nội Centre for Disease Control (CDC) shows that last week (from October 4 - 11), the capital city recorded six new cases of measles, an increase of two compared to the previous week.

Of these, four were not vaccinated, one was vaccinated, and one had an unidentified vaccination history.

So far this year, the city has had 23 cases of measles, while no cases were reported in the same period last year.

It is forecast that more cases may occur, especially in the last three months of the year. — VNS