Rising measles cases due to complacency over vaccination

Patients at the Paediatrics Department at Hà Nội-based Thanh Nhàn Hospital. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — The Paediatrics Department at Hà Nội-based Thanh Nhàn Hospital has seen dozens of children admitted with measles in recent days.

Head of the department Nghiêm Thị Mai Sang, said that of those cases, some children were too young to receive the measles vaccine, while others had incomplete vaccinations or had missed doses.

While tending to her young child in hospital due to measles, Đinh Thị Phương, a resident from Hoàng Liệt Ward, Hoàng Mai District, said that her child had been admitted after suffering from persistent fever for five days, followed by a red rash that spread across her body.

After testing, the child was diagnosed with measles and upon arrival at the hospital, she had then developed complications, including laryngitis.

"It’s been a long time and our family forgot to vaccinate the child against measles, so we were quite worried," Phương said.

Although the family had ensured their child received various vaccines, they had neglected the measles jab.

Sang, head of the department, said over the past month, the hospital had treated nearly 40 children with measles.

Most of the children were admitted with high fevers, coughs, and runny noses, which are also common symptoms of respiratory infections.

Some children who developed a rash were tested for measles.

The majority of measles cases involved children aged four months to eight years.

Many of the children had complications, including pneumonia and laryngitis, although there had been no severe cases such as encephalitis reported, she added.

Regarding the increase in measles cases, Sang pointed out that measles typically occurred in cycles, with a significant outbreak every ten years.

So in Hà Nội, 2024 is expected to be a year of resurgence, following the large outbreak in 2014.

The spread of the measles virus had been exacerbated by factors such as the current cold spring weather, which provided a conducive environment for the virus to thrive.

Additionally, some children had not developed sufficient immunity from the measles vaccine, or their immunity was weak.

The long incubation period and gradual progression of measles also contribute to prolonged infectiousness. Accurate diagnoses are often only made after a rash appears, allowing the virus to spread before the child is isolated.

Sang also added that after just one dose of the measles vaccine, its effectiveness can drop below 80 per cent.

However, after two doses, the body produces antibodies with 90-95 per cent efficacy.

The doctor advised that families should pay attention to vaccination schedules and ensure their children receive the entire series of measles vaccines to guarantee proper immunity.

In addition to measles, the hospital also reported an increase in cases of dengue fever.

Experts recommend that, in addition to keeping up with the national vaccination schedule, parents should consider having their children vaccinated against flu and pneumococcus if possible.

Parents should seek medical advice promptly if their children show symptoms such as cough, runny nose, high fever, convulsions, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, or wheezing to prevent the illness from worsening. — VNS