From the beginning of March 2025 to now, there have been an average of 3 to 4 measles cases per day coming for examination and treatment at Sa Dec General Hospital (Dong Thap province). Most of the cases are children who have not been vaccinated or have low resistance, doctors recommend that parents should take the initiative to prevent them because this year is in the cycle of measles outbreaks.
Recorded at the Department of Pediatrics of Sa Dec General Hospital, there are currently more than a dozen children hospitalized for measles treatment, the youngest is 2 months old, the oldest is also over 5 years old.
In recent days, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Toi - residing in Tan Nhuan Dong commune, Chau Thanh district, Dong Thap province - has had to be on duty in the hospital to take care of her son over 8 months old.
Ms. Truc said that the child had been hospitalized for nearly a week with test results for measles. According to Ms. Truc, because her child is less than 9 months old, she has not been vaccinated against measles. Before the rash, the child had a prolonged high fever, so she took him to the hospital.
"The previous times I gave him medicine, he had a low fever. This time, I gave him medicine but still couldn't reduce the fever, so I took him to the hospital. The doctor took blood to test the results of the child's measles. Thanks to being admitted to the hospital early, the child is now much better, and the doctor will probably let him out of the hospital in a few days".
Ms. Nguyen Thi Be - residing in Tan Khanh Dong commune, Sa Dec city - said that her 27-month-old granddaughter was hospitalized 5 days ago. Before being admitted to the hospital, the child also had clinical symptoms of measles such as: high fever for many days, runny nose and rash.
Mrs. Be shared: "My child had a fever for 2 days, and was given fever-reducing medicine but it didn't go away, so he was taken to the hospital. On the third day, early in the morning, the child had a rash in the abdomen, then in both hands. At first, it was thought that the child had been bitten by a mosquito, but when the doctor came here to take blood for testing, he knew he had measles".
Specialist Doctor 2 Pham Huu Cong - Head of the Department of Pediatrics, Sa Dec General Hospital - said: Measles has very typical symptoms that parents need to be aware of in order to promptly take their children to medical facilities when suspected. The common symptoms of measles are high fever for a few days, cough (can be a dry cough), sneezing and rashes are very typical (exposure from behind the ear then spreads to the face and finally spreads to the whole body). In addition, the patient also showed signs of conjunctivitis, watery eyes and white spot on the red background in the mouth..., Dr. Cong added.
According to Dr. Pham Huu Cong, measles is spread from sick people to healthy people mainly by the secretion of nasal and throat secretions from people infected with measles released into the air during coughing, sneezing and healthy people inhaled air drops containing that virus. Therefore, to limit the spread, people need to proactively prevent it.
Doctor Cong recommends: To prevent measles, there are two very important factors, the first is to get 2 doses of measles vaccine according to the expanded immunization program. The first doste must be vaccinated to children when they are 9 months old. For children who have not had measles, children must wear masks when going to crowded places. Parents need to regularly clean the environment, wash their hands when caring for and interacting with children; clean the house, toys, keep the environment cool and clean; give children adequate nutrition and vitamin A supplements. For children with measles, they must be quarantined with other children at least 4 days after recovering from the disease".
Doctor Pham Huu Cong also added that measles has many very dangerous complications such as: Inter-arrest ear inflammation, bronchitis, severe pneumonia; corneal ulcers; encephalitis - meningitis... if not detected and treated promptly can lead to death.
