Hearing the news that her neighbor had dengue fever, Ms. Vuong Hong Nhung (Dinh Cong, Hanoi) quickly went to a medical facility to get vaccinated to proactively prevent the disease. "Recently, I heard that there were many deaths from dengue fever. I was very worried because there was someone infected right next to my house. Moreover, the area where I live has many tropical trees, erratic sunshine like now, and many mosquitoes, so I proactively get vaccinated, Ms. Nhung shared.
Similarly, Mr. Vu Tien Dung (Van Mieu, Hanoi) proactively went to a medical center for a second shot in the dengue fever prevention regimen. According to Mr. Dung, this injection has a protective effect that lasts about 4 years before the re-sharpening is needed.
According to MSc. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Anh (VNVC Vaccination System), recently many localities have recorded deaths from dengue fever in both adults and children. Worryingly, the virus that causes the disease in this epidemic is showing a trend of changing strains compared to before.
Previously, children mainly suffered from dengue fever, but now the disease appears more in the age group of 12 - 15, even middle-aged and elderly people, Dr. Hoang Anh informed.
The dengue vaccine can currently prevent all 4 types of viruses DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4. In Vietnam, previously, DEN-1 type infections were mainly recorded. However, recently, the popular serum type has been converted to DEN-2 - a strain that often causes severe symptoms, most patients have to be hospitalized for treatment.
According to statistics from the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control, since the beginning of July, the Southern region has recorded more than 33,000 cases, with Ho Chi Minh City alone having 10 deaths (as of July 23). The epidemic is increasing rapidly and spreading. Notably, most of the deaths were in adults with underlying medical conditions, people overweight and obese.
Explaining the reason why the elderly and people with underlying diseases can easily progress severely when suffering from dengue fever, Dr. Pham Dinh Dong - Medical Management of the VNVC System said: Cronic underlying diseases such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cirrhosis, heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis... along with age-related aging resistance weakens the immune system, causing the body to react ineffectively to the attack of Dengue virus - the cause of dengue fever. Chronic, persistent inflammation characterized by underlying diseases that promote cytokine release and over-activation of immune cells during viral infection, leads to cytokine and increased capillary permeability. This is the central mechanism that causes huyetosal excretion, circulatory shock and multiple organ failure".
To prevent dengue fever, doctors recommend that people proactively prevent mosquito bites by sleeping under a guise even during the day, using mosquito spray, and keeping the living environment hygienic. In particular, it is necessary to remove water containers where mosquitoes often lay eggs and get vaccinated to increase disease prevention effectiveness.
