People are concerned about the risk of disease spread
According to the Vinh Long Provincial Department of Health, from the beginning of 2026, 1 case of septicemia-like meningococcal meningitis was recorded, a 47-year-old woman residing in Tam Binh district, admitted to the hospital in serious condition.
Test results confirmed positive for meningococcus type B, the patient recovered after 12 days of treatment. Although the number of cases is small, the risk of the disease makes people proactively prevent and prioritize vaccination.
Recorded at the Provincial Center for Disease Control, the number of people coming for consultation and vaccination against meningococcal meningitis has increased significantly, especially on weekends when parents take advantage of taking their children for vaccination.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Thu (resident of Tan Hanh ward) said that she took her 4-year-old son for vaccination. "Hearing information that the disease is dangerous for young children, I was very worried, so I took the opportunity to get my son vaccinated to feel more secure," Ms. Thu said.
Bringing her two children to get vaccinated, Ms. Nguyen Thi Cam Tien (Long Chau ward) said that through information from newspapers and radio, she found the disease easily contagious and progressed quickly, so she decided to vaccinate her children, and at the same time reminded them to maintain personal hygiene.
According to Dr. Le Thi Thang - Deputy Head of the Department of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control of Vinh Long CDC, the number of people vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis increased by 20-30% compared to the same period in 2025.
Currently, the unit ensures enough vaccines. Although secondary spread has not been recorded, the risk of epidemics is still present. People should not be subjective, they need to proactively prevent the disease," Ms. Thang advised.
Proactively vaccinate and implement good disease prevention
According to the Department of Health, meningococcal meningitis is an acute infectious disease transmitted through the respiratory tract, when exposed to secretions from a sick person or a healthy person carrying the germ, it can cause severe complications and rapid death if not treated promptly.
The disease is common in children under 5 years old, with symptoms such as sudden high fever, headache, nausea, stiff neck, fear of light and may appear a star-shaped hemorrhagic rash on the skin.
It is noteworthy that, according to the health sector, about 5-25% of people carry the bacteria but do not have clinical manifestations, increasing the risk of spreading in the community if there are no appropriate preventive measures.
According to Vinh Long CDC, vaccination is the most effective and proactive disease prevention measure today, helping to protect the body against dangerous meningococcal bacteria.
Currently, Vietnam has vaccines that fully prevent 5 common serum groups including A, B, C, Y, W, meeting the protection needs of many ages from young children to adults.
Because each type of vaccine only protects a certain number of bacteria, people need to be fully vaccinated according to recommendations to achieve comprehensive disease prevention effectiveness," said a representative of Vinh Long CDC.
Director of the Department of Health Ho Thi Thu Hang said that it is necessary for people to pay attention to disease prevention, but they need to access accurate information to avoid unnecessary panic.
In addition to vaccination, people need to maintain personal hygiene, wash hands regularly, wear masks in crowded places and cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing. People also need to eat enough nutrients, rest reasonably, and increase exercise to improve resistance. When there are suspicious signs, they need to go to a medical facility for timely examination," Ms. Hang added.
