63 cases of measles
Since the beginning of the year, the Quang Nam Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recorded at least 63 cases of measles, mainly in children with initial symptoms similar to rash fever.
From the initial measles outbreak suspected of being caused by measles in Tra Leng commune, Nam Tra My district, to date, the measles epidemic has broken out, spreading to 15 districts/ towns/cities across the province, including (19 cases in Nam Tra My, 10 cases in Bac Tra My, the rest are scattered in districts), a sharp increase compared to the same period in 2024 (no cases). Worryingly, up to 56/63 measles cases (accounting for 88.9%) have not been vaccinated or are not old enough to be vaccinated against measles, 62/63 cases are children.
Ms. Ho Thi Tha, in village 4, Tra Don commune, Nam Tra My district, said that to take her child to the district health center for examination, the family had to ask the villagers to carry her by road for nearly 3 hours to get there by motorbike to the district health center. "My child is in a constant pain and cannot recover, the family is very worried. I had to borrow people to carry the hammocks onto the road to take them to the hospital, because there is no medicine here, there is no medicine," said Ms. Tha.
Responding to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Mai Van Muoi - Director of the Quang Nam Provincial Department of Health - said that the reason for the increase in measles cases in the province is due to the decrease in measles vaccination rates in the expanded immunization program, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the interruption of vaccine supply in the 2023 Expanded Immunization Program.
Many children have not been vaccinated on schedule, and have not been vaccinated with enough doses in recent years, which is a risk factor for disease outbreaks, including measles.
"The health sector of the whole province is urgently implementing measures to prevent and control measles epidemics according to the direction of the Provincial People's Committee. The goal is to control and prevent the spread, minimizing the number of cases and deaths" - Mr. Mai Van Muoi said.
Staying in the mountains to suppress the epidemic
According to Dr. Tran Van Kiem, Director of the CDC in Quang Nam province, the most common cause of rash fever is infection with human herpes virus 6 or 7 (measles virus, rubella virus).
rash fever will usually go away after a few days of treatment, but measles fever leaves serious complications, which can lead to death for children with various diseases at the same time, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, etc. The best and most effective way to prevent rash fever is to get vaccinated against vaccinated diseases such as measles and rubella.
Faced with the complicated developments of the epidemic, the CDC of Quang Nam province has sent rapid response teams day and night to cross mountains and ice forests to villages and tops of Nam Tra My district to suppress the epidemic.
Up to now, Nam Tra My district has nearly 60 children born from 2013 to 2024 with symptoms of fever and rash suspected of measles, being treated at medical facilities. Most children do not receive good care, eat and drink inadequately, so the disease progresses more severely.
According to Dr. Hoang Van Luan, Deputy Director of Nam Tra My District Medical Center, with the support of the provincial health sector, the district health force is based in Tra Leng and Tra Don communes... to mobilize people to take the children to the examination station, in case of serious illness, they should be transferred to the district health center for timely treatment.
"The unit has also proactively supported meals and actively treated them so that they can be discharged from the hospital soon. Up to now, the epidemic situation in Nam Tra My has been basically controlled and controlled" - Dr. Luan said.
"The health sector of the whole province is focusing on regulating and providing high-dose vitamin A supplements to Nam Tra My District Medical Center and medical examination and treatment facilities that are treating patients with measles and rash fever suspected of measles" - Director of Quang Nam Provincial Department of Health informed.
