As of March 15, 2025, Da Nang has recorded 2,218 cases of suspected measles rash fever, of which 504 cases tested positive for measles. Notably, the number of cases of children who have reached retirement age but have not been vaccinated accounts for 63.69%.
The plan of the People's Committee of Da Nang City affirms that implementing a measles vaccination campaign in Da Nang is very necessary because the city has a high population density, is an important traffic unit and a destination for many international tourists, increasing the risk of disease entry.
Faced with the risk of measles outbreak warned by the World Health Organization (WHO), Da Nang city will implement a measles vaccination campaign in 2025. The measles situation is complicated with increasing cases in many countries, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines and Malaysia.
WHO assessed the risk of measles outbreak in Vietnam as very high and recommended that provinces and cities at high and very high risk, as well as places where measles cases were recorded, need to implement vaccination campaigns. The remaining provinces and cities need to organize a review to make up for vaccination and catch-up vaccination for children who missed the vaccination schedule due to the pandemic.
Vaccination and catch-up vaccination and catch-up vaccination campaigns need to be implemented urgently to prevent epidemics, especially in areas with outbreaks. Due to the epidemiological characteristics of measles being rapidly spreading and depending heavily on vaccination, vaccination needs to be implemented as soon as possible.
In Vietnam, in 2021, more than 45,758 cases of suspected measles rash fever and 18 deaths related to measles were recorded, of which the Southern region accounted for the highest rate (66.6%). From the beginning of 2025 to now, 38,807 suspected measles cases and 5 deaths have been recorded, an increase compared to the same period in 2024 and continue to be recorded highest in the Southern region (57%). Most cases of measles are not vaccinated or have not been fully vaccinated against the disease.
According to WHO's recommendation, the measles vaccination schedule in countries with measles is at doses 1 from 9 months old, doses 2 at 15-18 months old. In countries that have eliminated measles, the first dose is given at 12 months and the second dose is given at 15-18 months. WHO also recommends supplementing a dose of measles-containing vaccine for children aged 6 to under 9 months in cases of an outbreak or at high risk of measles.
The plan of the People's Committee of Da Nang City also specifically states each task for each Department of Health and local level, with instructions on age, number of vaccines, funding, implementation steps to the grassroots level...
