The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has proposed that the municipal administration declare the end of the measles epidemic in 22 wards and communes in District 1, District 4, and Cu Chi District.

Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Tang Chi Thuong said on Thursday morning that since the second week of 2025, the number of measles cases has been rapidly decreasing across all age groups in the city.

By the 12th week, 50 wards and communes in 13 districts and Thu Duc City had not reported any new measles cases for three consecutive weeks or more.

After declaring the end of the epidemic, the city will continue to maintain monitoring activities to detect early suspected cases in the community and take timely actions to prevent the risk of an outbreak.

Education efforts will be strengthened to raise public awareness about the benefits of vaccination, encouraging parents to have their children vaccinated timely and to maintain disease prevention measures.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health advised people not to be complacent or negligent in preventing the spread of measles.

To effectively prevent a measles outbreak, residents should proactively take their children for full vaccinations, wash hands frequently with water and soap, cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, maintain proper nutrition, strengthen physical health, and ensure environmental hygiene.

On May 23, 2024, the first measles cases were detected in the city after more than two years.

The Department of Health directed the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control to collaborate with Children's Hospital 1 and the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit to assess community immunity.

The results showed that the percentage of children aged nine months to under five years with antibodies against measles was only 86 percent, while the rate should be over 95 percent. In other words, Ho Chi Minh City had a very high risk of a measles outbreak.

As a result, the Department of Health advised the municipal People's Committee to declare a measles outbreak and proactively implement a plan to protect children at high risk.

On August 27 last year, the municipal government declared a measles epidemic throughout the city and used the local budget to purchase vaccines.

On August 31, 2024, the city launched a measles vaccination campaign for children aged one to 10 years.

The city began vaccinating children aged six to under nine months on November 12, 2024, after receiving approval from the Ministry of Health.

Authorities have also prioritized treatment efforts. Of the 8,087 reported cases in the city, 151 patients required respiratory support, accounting for 1.6 percent.

There have been seven deaths, with a mortality rate of one in 1,000, primarily among children with congenital diseases or severe underlying conditions who had not been previously vaccinated.

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