On July 15, Director of the Kien Giang Center for Disease Control (CDC) Tran The Vinh said that the measles epidemic situation in Kien Giang province, especially Phu Quoc City, was basically under stable control, although However, we need to continue to monitor developments without being subjective.
According to CDC of Kien Giang province, from April 2024 the province began to record cases of typhus suspected of measles. Among them, the number of positive cases for measles accounts for a high proportion.
From the beginning of 2024 until now, the whole province has recorded 127 measles cases in 6 districts and cities. Cases are concentrated in Phu Quoc City (111 cases) and An Minh district (9 cases). Other localities also began to record scattered cases.
According to the provincial CDC, the possibility of rapid spread and the appearance of many outbreaks in schools may lead to a relatively high risk of measles outbreaks in the province in the near future.
When discovering the first measles cases in Phu Quoc, Kien Giang CDC advised the Provincial People's Committee and Department of Health to directly deploy measles response, determine the number of cases, and deploy it to the entire public and private health system. in Phu Quoc to respond to measles prevention.
“Review close contacts, make a daily monitoring list, and provide instructions on how to prevent infection in schools and control infection in public and private systems. Thanks to drastic implementation, the measles epidemic in Phu Quoc is now basically well controlled," said Dr. Tran The Vinh.
Doctor Vinh also added that the first cases in Phu Quoc were at Cua Duong 2 Primary School, aged about 7-10 years old. The health sector has been very proactive in implementing drastic steps to limit the spread in the community as much as possible. Communication work has been promoted, especially among teachers, to control infection.
The Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City has had many monitoring sessions with the CDC and the Department of Health to directly direct the handling of measles outbreaks in Phu Quoc. The Central Institute of Epidemiology directly reviews and supports measles response issues, investigates vaccination status,...
Doctor Vinh informed that according to the investigation, for about 3 months now, Phu Quoc has had population fluctuations, which has affected the problem of insufficient or missing vaccinations. Even in the same house, the children are vaccinated enough, but the children are not vaccinated enough because the movement of residence is unstable, so it is not included in population management.
According to the provincial CDC, Phu Quoc has a 30-bed area dedicated to measles treatment, 7 doctors can handle measles treatment, fortunately there are no severe cases and currently the province has 4 cases being treated.
In fact, during the recent epidemic, about 30% of the total number of sick children were not vaccinated or missed doses. CDC has directed a campaign to review vaccination history to conduct catch-up vaccinations for all children of vaccination age who have completed their vaccinations. Preparations are taking place to make up and vaccinate children entering primary school from 3 to 7 years old, and the number of injections has been investigated.
Currently, the health sector also directs to continue monitoring situations that arise in the community. If any, promptly localize, trace and propagate people to quarantine and control. Review vaccination history, if you have not been vaccinated or are missing shots or doses, you will be given a make-up dose according to regulations. The province is preparing to bid for 6,000 doses for children outside the expanded vaccination program age group.
According to the Ministry of Health, Kien Giang is one of 14 provinces at very high risk. In the near future, a campaign to make up doses of measles and Rubella vaccines may be organized for children depending on their age. The health sector also recommends that to effectively prevent epidemics, you need to pay attention to a clean environment, clean hands, and be fully vaccinated.
