At Can Tho Children's Hospital, measles broke out in early August 2024 with a sudden increase in cases, many cases were severe with complications of pneumonia, respiratory failure, and had to be on a ventilator. During the peak period of measles, cases of suspected measles rash fever and overloaded measles positive in the Infectious Diseases Department, children were crowded from the hospital room to the hallway.
From the beginning of 2025 to now, the number of cases has decreased, but doctors warn that the disease is still not over.
Quick information to Lao Dong on March 18, Specialist Doctor II Huynh Hung Dung - Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Can Tho Children's Hospital - said that the number of inpatients at the department has decreased by about half compared to peak times, more than 100 cases/day.
"Most cases of the disease (in Can Tho city and neighboring provinces) are usually children under 1 year old, so they cannot be vaccinated or parents have not given them for vaccination. The department has also recorded that children aged only 1 - 2 months have contracted measles" - Dr. Dung said.
Doctor Dung noted that parents, during the transition period of winter - spring, the risk of measles and seasonal flu increases. For children who have not been fully vaccinated, parents need to quickly get their children vaccinated to protect their health and the community.
Previously, Doctor Ha Tan Vinh - Deputy Director of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Can Tho - said that the city will implement an early measles vaccination campaign, divided into many phases in October 2024. By February 2025, Can Tho had vaccinated over 30,000 doses of measles vaccine for children, reaching a rate of about 95%, while about 5% of children had not been vaccinated.
Early vaccination has helped increase the rate of measles immunity in the community, reduce the incidence rate and minimize deaths from measles. Currently, the measles epidemic has decreased, there is no longer a scene of children with measles having to lie tightly in the hospital corridor, Dr. Vinh shared.
However, CDC Can Tho still recorded cases of scattered diseases in the community.
In Dong Thap, according to statistics from Sa Dec General Hospital, since the beginning of the year, 178 cases of measles have been treated, while at this time last year, there were no cases.
From the beginning of March 2025 to now, there have been an average of 3 to 4 measles cases per day coming to the Hospital for examination and treatment. Most of the cases are children who have not been vaccinated or have low resistance.
Doctors warn 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.
The Department of Health of Dong Thap province informed that the industry is actively implementing measures to prevent and control the measles epidemic. However, to effectively prevent measles, each individual and family needs to raise awareness, proactively vaccinate children fully and take preventive measures according to the recommendations of the health sector.
