HCM City: more than 3,000 infants vaccinated against measles

3,043 measles vaccine doses for infants aged six to nine months in HCM CITY. VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Hằng

HCM CITY - After one week, the city has injected 3,043 measles vaccine doses for infants aged six to nine months.

On November 22, the HCM City Department of Health reported that from November 11-17, the total number of measles cases in the city was 211, an increase of 43.5 per cent compared to the average of the previous four weeks, including 127 inpatient cases (an increase of 26.1 per cent) and 84 outpatient cases (an increase of 81.6 per cent). Accumulated from the beginning of the year, the number of measles cases in the city has been 1,858, including three deaths.

In addition, the number of cases from other provinces treated at four hospitals in the city last week also increased with 419 cases (up 31.1 per cent compared to the average of the previous four weeks).

Since the beginning of the year, the cumulative number of measles cases from other provinces treated in HCM City has been 3,052 cases.

According to the city Department of Health, the measles vaccination campaign for children aged one to 10 has contributed to reducing the number of cases in this age group. However, the surveillance system recorded an increase in the number of new cases in children aged six to under nine months.

This is a young age group, long too old to be vaccinated against measles under the expanded immunization program, while antibodies passed from the mother may have decreased below the protective level.

In response to the increase in new measles cases, after receiving approval from the Ministry of Health, HCM City is implementing a measles vaccination campaign for children from six months to nine months old.

As a result, after one week of cumulative vaccination, the city has vaccinated 3,043 doses for children in this age group.

The vaccine used for children is a single vaccine in the expanded immunization programme implemented by the city to ensure safety.

In addition, the city continues to review and implement a measles vaccination campaign for children aged one to 10, as well as deploy vaccines in the expanded immunisation programme for those who have not been vaccinated or have not been fully vaccinated.

The health sector recommends that parents and family members proactively take their children to vaccination sites to get vaccinated against measles. VNS