Ministry of Health receives 500,000 doses of measles vaccine from VNVC

The Ministry of Health received 500,000 doses of measles vaccine from VNVC - Photo: VGP/HM

At the vaccine reception ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong expressed her gratitude to the VNVC Vaccination Center System for supporting the vaccine this time and hoped that the System would continue to accompany the Ministry of Health in implementing vaccination work in Vietnam. In the current urgent context of additional measles vaccine supply, the Ministry of Health has received valuable and timely support of 500,000 doses of measles vaccine from the VNVC Vaccination Center System.

"This amount of vaccine can be delivered immediately to localities, contributing to speeding up the implementation of the measles vaccination campaign, immediately controlling the measles epidemic that continues to develop complicatedly in some localities, in accordance with the direction of the Prime Minister," Deputy Minister Lien Huong emphasized.

This is a grant for free vaccination for children. The Department of Disease Prevention and the Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute will continue to guide localities to use vaccines for the right purpose, safely; ensure effectiveness, no overlap, duplication and compliance with current professional regulations as well as distribution to the right beneficiaries.

At the donation ceremony, Dr. Nghiem Tran Dung, representative of the VNVC Vaccination System, said that in order to create rapid vaccine coverage, coordination between the VNVC Vaccination System and the Expanded Immunization Program of localities is essential. Therefore, as soon as the Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Health to urgently accelerate the vaccination of disease prevention vaccines, VNVC is ready to contribute and donate a large number of measles vaccines to support localities with the Ministry of Health to promptly vaccinate and prevent diseases for the community.

According to Dr. Bach Thi Chinh, Medical Director of VNVC Vaccination System, in epidemic areas and areas at high risk of measles, children vaccinated with measles vaccine from 6 months to under 9 months old are considered measles dose 0. Children need to continue to be vaccinated with vaccines containing measles prevention components from 9 months and 12 months old according to the regular vaccination regimen.

In epidemic areas and areas at high risk of measles, children are vaccinated against measles from 6 months to under 9 months old - Photo: VGP/HM

Providing large quantities of vaccines in a very short time is a challenge.

Measles is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus, with typical symptoms including fever, rash, runny nose, cough, and red eyes. Measles spreads rapidly through the respiratory tract, especially in crowded environments such as schools and residential areas. Nearly 100% of people who are not immune are at risk of contracting the disease.

The disease causes many complications such as diarrhea, corneal ulcers, pneumonia, encephalitis... and can lead to death. Pregnant women with measles are at risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature birth.

Measles vaccine was introduced into the Expanded Immunization Program in Vietnam in October 1985. After 40 years, the measles incidence rate in children has decreased significantly, from 112.8/100,000 people in 1986 to 29.8/100,000 people in 2010, especially after the measles vaccination campaign for children aged 1-5 years nationwide in late 2010. However, measles outbreaks still occur in cycles of about 5 years, such as the measles outbreaks in 2014-2015, 2019-2020 and this outbreak in 2024-2025.

Since the beginning of 2025, the country has recorded about 40,000 suspected measles cases and 5 measles-related deaths. The highest number of suspected measles cases was recorded in the Southern region (57%), Central region (19.2%), Northern region (15.1%), and Central Highlands (8.7%).

Faced with the complicated developments of the measles epidemic, on March 15, the Prime Minister issued Official Dispatch No. 23/CD-TTg on accelerating measles vaccination. The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Health to ensure sufficient measles vaccines and timely distribute them to localities to effectively implement the Expanded Immunization Program; and to complete the measles vaccination campaign no later than March 31, 2025.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said that supplying a large number of vaccines in a very short time is a challenge for the Ministry of Health.

Also on March 15, the Ministry of Health held a national online conference on measles prevention and control. The Ministry of Health has directed localities to accelerate the implementation of the 2025 measles vaccination campaign in the area, prioritizing vaccination for children in districts with many cases or suspected cases of measles; at the same time, it is necessary to continue to effectively implement the expanded immunization program, organize catch-up vaccinations, and catch-up vaccinations for children who have not been vaccinated or have not received enough doses of the vaccine.

Also at this meeting, the Ministry of Health said that, up to now, Kon Tum has only implemented a measles vaccination campaign for children. The vaccination implementation of 10 other localities across the country is still slow, such as: Dak Nong, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Ben Tre, Binh Phuoc...

Hien Minh

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/bo-y-te-tiep-nhan-500000-lieu-vaccine-soi-tu-vnvc-102250317183729975.htm