Ministry of Health approves Ho Chi Minh City to vaccinate children from 6 to under 9 months old with measles vaccine

NDO - On the morning of November 7, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health announced that the Ministry of Health has officially approved the implementation of measles vaccination for children from 6 to under 9 months old in Ho Chi Minh City. This decision was made in Official Dispatch No. 6881/BYT-DP of the Ministry of Health to strengthen epidemic prevention measures during the current peak period.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, the number of children under 9 months old with measles has been recorded at 349, accounting for 24% of the total number of cases, especially in the group from 6 to under 9 months old. The measles vaccination campaign for children from 1 to 10 years old has contributed to reducing the number of cases in this age group. However, the surveillance system recorded an increase in the number of new cases in the age group under 9 months old. This is a young age group, not old enough to be vaccinated against measles under the expanded immunization program, while antibodies passed from the mother may have decreased below the protective level.

Faced with this reality, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has sent a document to the Ministry of Health recommending measles vaccination for children of this age. On November 6, the Ministry of Health officially approved the implementation of measles vaccination for children from 6 to under 9 months old in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to the World Health Organization, the monovalent measles vaccine can be given to children aged 6 to under 9 months during outbreaks as an enhanced anti-epidemic measure. This vaccine is considered as the “Measles 0” dose and then the child continues to be vaccinated with 2 doses of measles vaccine according to the Expanded Immunization Program schedule at 9 months and 18 months of age.

The Ministry of Health also directed the City Health Department to develop a detailed plan to ensure that the vaccination rate reaches at least 95% in communes and wards and comply with safety measures. At the same time, relevant units will closely monitor to ensure that no subjects are missed, especially young children in hospital. The measles vaccine for children from 6 to under 9 months is the vaccine used in the expanded immunization program. The city will safely implement measles vaccination for children from 6 to under 9 months.

The Department of Health representative said that they will continue to review and implement the measles vaccination campaign for children from 1 to 10 years old in the city, as well as deploy vaccinations in the Expanded Immunization Program for those who have not been vaccinated or have not been fully vaccinated. The health sector recommends that parents and family members proactively take their children to vaccination sites to get vaccinated against measles.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/bo-y-te-phe-duyet-cho-thanh-pho-ho-chi-minh-tiem-vaccine-soi-cho-tre-tu-6-den-duoi-9-thang-tuoi-post843544.html