The Ministry of Health has urged authorities in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam to adopt drastic measures to combat a measles outbreak after two children died at home from suspected measles.

The Department of Preventive Medicine under the ministry on Thursday wrote to the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang City in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa and the Quang Nam Health Department, calling for enhanced measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

The urgent directive came after two child deaths from suspected measles had been reported, and while the province’s vaccination campaign was progressing slowly.

The provincial department was asked to expedite the measles vaccination drive, ensuring that the 20,000 doses of the vaccine allocated to the province are administered before March 25.

The vaccination must be prioritized for children in areas with high numbers of suspected measles cases.

The provincial department was told to implement flexible vaccination methods, including mobile vaccination points and home-based vaccination campaigns to raise the vaccination coverage rate in the province, while avoiding delays due to insufficient funds, lack of medical supplies, or shortages of healthcare personnel.

In cases where additional measles vaccines are needed, the province should proactively report the issue to the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang City, which will consider redistributing vaccines from other localities.

Besides, the ministry also directed the institute to closely monitor the allocation and usage of vaccines, ensuring timely and effective distribution across localities.

It was also responsible for supervising and monitoring the vaccination campaign in Quang Nam Province.

Moreover, the institute was tasked with collaborating with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology to ensure the supply of measles vaccines.

Quang Nam Province detected two deaths from suspected measles last week.

The two second-grade students in Tra Don Commune under Nam Tra My District died after several days of high fever and diarrhoea, and receiving self-treatment at home. 

From January 25 to March 10, as many as 255 cases of children with fever and rashes were admitted to hospitals or medical facilities in Nam Tra My District, according to the Department of Preventive Medicine.

The department believed that the fever and rash cases in the district were likely to be linked to measles.

The Ministry of Health also pointed out that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many children missed their routine measles vaccinations, while the shortage of vaccines in 2023 further impacted vaccination rates, creating a significant immunization gap within the community.

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