Measles epidemic increased 8 times, Ministry of Health recommends prevention

Medical news August 29: Measles epidemic increases 8 times, Ministry of Health recommends prevention

According to the Ministry of Health, from the beginning of 2024 to now, the number of measles cases has increased more than 8 times compared to the same period in 2023 and tends to increase in some localities.

Measles epidemic on the rise, Ministry of Health requests urgent epidemic prevention

To proactively take measures to prevent and control the epidemic, minimize the spread in the community and quickly control and repel the measles epidemic, the Ministry of Health has issued Decision 2495/QD-BYT on the implementation of the measles vaccination campaign in 2024, including the campaign vaccine sponsored by the Australian Government.

According to the Ministry of Health, from the beginning of 2024 until now, the number of measles cases has increased more than 8 times compared to the same period in 2023 and tends to increase in some localities.

At the same time, the Ministry of Health has issued official dispatches on proactively implementing disease prevention and control during the school year; official dispatches on implementing measles vaccination along with instructions and recommendations from the Ministry of Health on measles prevention and control.

The Ministry of Health has closely coordinated with the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, relevant ministries, branches and units to focus on directing the drastic implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures.

In addition, the Ministry of Health also requested localities to closely monitor the development of the epidemic situation; proactively monitor, detect early, and thoroughly handle measles outbreaks.

Localities need to continue to closely monitor the development of the epidemic situation; proactively monitor, promptly detect and thoroughly handle outbreaks; regularly assess risks, analyze the situation and propose timely and effective treatment measures.

At the same time, proactively coordinate with neighboring localities to share and update information on the epidemic situation and synchronously deploy epidemic prevention and control measures, not allowing the epidemic to spread and break out in the area; continue to promote vaccination to prevent and control measles.

According to the Department of Preventive Medicine, measles is a group B infectious disease caused by the measles virus. The disease is common in children under 5 years old or can also occur in adults, due to not being vaccinated against measles or not being vaccinated enough.

Measles has no specific treatment and is easily spread through the respiratory tract through droplets of an infected person or through direct contact, through hands contaminated with the patient's secretions.

Crowded places such as public places, schools... have a very high risk of spreading measles. Measles outbreaks usually occur in cycles of 3-5 years.

Vaccination is an effective measure to prevent disease. The transmission of disease can only be stopped when the immunity rate in the community reaches >95%.

Therefore, to prevent measles, the Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health recommends: Proactively take children from 9 months to 2 years old who have not been vaccinated or have not received 2 doses of measles vaccine to get fully vaccinated on schedule.

Do not let children come near or come into contact with children suspected of having measles; Wash hands frequently with soap when caring for children.

Keep your child's body, nose, throat, eyes and mouth clean every day. Make sure your house and toilet are clean and well-ventilated. Improve your child's nutrition.

Nursery schools, kindergartens, and schools where children gather must be kept clean and airy; toys, learning tools, and classrooms must be regularly disinfected with common disinfectants.

When detecting signs of fever, cough, runny nose, rash, it is necessary to isolate the child early and take him/her to the nearest medical facility for examination and timely treatment advice. Do not take the child for unnecessary treatment to avoid hospital overload and cross-infection in the hospital.

Ho Chi Minh City: Measles vaccination campaign launched during September 2nd holiday

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health will start providing additional measles vaccinations from August 31 and will continue vaccinations during the National Day holiday on September 2.

On August 27, 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee officially announced a measles epidemic, a group B infectious disease, throughout the city. To proactively prevent, combat and quickly control and repel measles, the Ministry of Health has issued and disseminated full documents directing, providing professional guidance and a measles vaccination plan in accordance with the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

The City Department of Health issued Plan No. 8563/KH-SYT dated August 27, 2024 on the procurement of measles-rubella vaccines and assigned the City Center for Disease Control to urgently complete procedures to purchase 300,000 doses of MR vaccine.

This is the vaccine being used by the National Expanded Immunization Program, produced by the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (POLYVAC). The vaccine is purchased from the city budget.

The vaccine is being transported by specialized vehicles from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and is expected to arrive at the warehouse of the City Center for Disease Control by the end of August 30, 2024 and be immediately distributed to districts.

According to the plan, those prioritized for vaccination in this phase are children from 1 to 5 years old living in the city, regardless of vaccination history, and children in high-risk groups (from 6 to 16 years old) who are being examined and treated at hospitals, regardless of vaccination history.

Children aged 6-10 who have not received enough doses of the vaccine, health workers at risk of contact with people with measles, and health workers caring for children in high-risk groups who have not received or have not received enough measles-containing vaccines will also be vaccinated in this campaign.

The program will not vaccinate children with MR vaccine who have been vaccinated with measles-containing vaccine within 1 month prior to the campaign (evidence must be shown on the Vaccination Card/Book/Vaccination Management Software).

The campaign is deployed at all health stations in wards, communes and towns in 22 districts, Thu Duc City, educational institutions and medical examination and treatment facilities that organize vaccination in the city.

Saving the life of a child with complex congenital heart defects in the womb

Child patient NMĐ (12 days old, Vinh Phuc) treated at the Pediatric Cardiology Department, Cardiovascular Center, E Hospital, was discovered by doctors to have congenital heart defects of atresia at the pulmonary valve, benign interventricular septum, and severe tricuspid regurgitation from the fetus.

Dr. Tran Dac Dai, Head of Pediatric Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, E Hospital, shared about this extremely "special" heart healing journey. This is a case of a child patient who was discovered to have a complex congenital heart disease while still in the womb (week 26 of pregnancy) through ultrasound screening.

After that, the baby continued to be closely monitored by doctors throughout the pregnancy at E Hospital (with the coordination of monitoring by doctors from the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department and the Pediatric Cardiology Department).

And the pediatric cardiologist planned timely intervention right after birth with the hope that the child would have the opportunity to live a life with a healthy heart.

Dr. Tran Dac Dai explained that this is a case of a child who is classified as having congenital heart disease with pulmonary circulation dependent on the ductus arteriosus. When the pulmonary valve atrophies, it will completely block the blood flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery along with the integrity of the interventricular septum. At that time, the blood flow to the pulmonary circulation is supplied through the existence of the ductus arteriosus, which leads blood from the aorta to the pulmonary artery.

Fortunately, in this patient's case, when performing the intervention, although the patient weighed 3.3 kg, the pulmonary valve membrane was thin and the valve ring was large enough for the doctors to easily perform pulmonary valve dilation for the child.

Currently, the patient's health is stable, breathing on his own, and no longer cyanotic... The child's mother could not hide her emotions and burst into tears of happiness when seeing her child getting healthier day by day.

For children with congenital heart disease, diagnosing the disease during pregnancy is very important and has a decisive meaning for the child's life when born. Currently, fetal echocardiography can diagnose this type of congenital heart disease and evaluate prognostic factors to guide pregnant women in planning to actively control their pregnancy.

Dr. Tran Dac Dai recommends that pregnant women should be monitored throughout their pregnancy by a cardiologist specializing in congenital heart disease and an experienced obstetrician to screen for all high risks that may occur during pregnancy and childbirth.

In case of any abnormalities in the fetus, the doctors will advise and explain the risks to the mother and fetus: the prognosis of the disease, the ability to keep the pregnancy, the plan to monitor the pregnancy by ultrasound to monitor the disease progression; advise the pregnant woman to choose a birthing facility with adequate professional qualifications and facilities to provide neonatal emergency care and then immediately transfer the fetus to a specialized cardiovascular facility for monitoring and timely intervention...

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tin-moi-y-te-ngay-298-dich-soi-tang-8-lan-bo-y-te-khuyen-cao-phong-chong-d223590.html