As the fatal measles epidemic shows no sign of stoppage, many parents have spent day and night with their children at hospitals in Hanoi, the area most heavily affected by the disease.

Major hospitals in the northern hub like Vietnam National Hospital of Pediatrics, Bach Mai, and Saint Paul have recently become overloaded with the increasing number of child patients infected with measles. Hence, two to four children must share one bed because of the overload.

As of April 19, 118 children died of measles and its complications since the illness recurred in the country late last year.

The Vietnam National Hospital of Pediatrics based in Hanoi accounted for 109 (92 percent) of the death toll.

Dr. Nguyen Van Kinh, director of the Central Tropical Diseases Hospital in the capital, said more than 7,000 children have caught measles and the ailment has spread to 61 of the country’s total of 63 provinces and cities.

A Vietnamese health official said measles can cause rapid immunodeficiency, leading to other ailments such as pneumonia and diarrhea, which can become very serious and even cause death.

>> Parents rush to get babies vaccinated for measles>> Occupying 50% of measles mortality, Vietnam’s capital yet to declare epidemic >> Over 7,000 children catch measles in Vietnam; at least 111 die: report >> Vietnam ministry quadruples child mortality from measles to at least 108, epidemic declaration pending 

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