The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee on Tuesday issued a decision to declare measles an epidemic, as cases are on the rise and three children have died from the disease. 

The declaration was made after the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) reported that the number of suspected measles cases has begun to climb in the city since the end of May. 

From early this year till August 25, the total number of suspected measles amounted to 525, including 209 confirmed cases and three deaths, the HCDC reported. 

Among the deceased were a four-month-old girl who had not yet reached the vaccination age, a three-year-old girl who had not been immunized, and a seven-year-old boy who had received two doses of the measles vaccine, the Voice of Vietnam reported.

The local health authority is taking drastic measures to put the disease under control as K-12 students have begun to go back to school in preparation for their new academic year, of which the official opening ceremony has been set on September 5.  

In the decision, the municipal administration requested those who contract or are suspected to contract measles to make a full and accurate declaration of their health conditions to the health agency within 24 hours of diagnosis for epidemic control purposes.

The administration has instructed local health authorities to launch an additional vaccination campaign against measles-rubella for all children aged one to five years living in the city, regardless of their prior vaccination history.

Measles is an infectious disease with the highest level of transmission among all diseases, with one patient likely to infect 12-18 others, warned Dr. Du Tuan Quy, head of the department of infectious diseases-neurology at city-based Children’s Hospital 1, where many infected children are being treated.

Dr. Quy noted that most of the child patients had not been vaccinated because their parents either forgot to do so or were concerned about the potential side effects of the measles vaccine.

He added that many of the mothers lacked a full understanding of the disease, which contributed to the low vaccination rates.

He advised that children with measles should be isolated to avoid transmission to others. 

As an acute viral infectious disease, measles spreads easily when a sick person coughs, sneezes or breathes, warned Dr. Pham Ngoc Thach, deputy director of Children's Hospital 2, also based in the city.

Symptoms of measles usually begin 10-14 days after exposure to the virus, including a runny nose, cough, red eyes, watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks.

Rashes usually appear about 7-18 days after the exposure, usually on the face and neck, eventually spreading to the arms and legs.

Measles complications can include blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea and associated dehydration, ear infections, and serious respiratory problems including pneumonia, among others, Dr. Thach said. 

Anyone who is not immune from measles, which means those who have yet to get vaccinated or who have been vaccinated but have not developed immunity, can become infected, with unvaccinated young children and pregnant women at the highest risk of severe complications, the doctor warned.  

As the measles virus can remain active and spreads in the air or on infected surfaces for up to two hours, the disease is highly contagious.

There is no specific treatment for measles so community vaccination is the most effective way to curb the ailment, he said, asserting that all children should be immunized with measles vaccine which is safe, effective, and inexpensive. 

“Children should receive two doses of the vaccine to ensure effective immunity," Dr. Thach said.

"The first is usually given at nine months of age and the second at 15-18 months."

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