Ho Chi Minh City becomes a model for measles control

Declaring a measles epidemic is the legal basis for implementing an anti-epidemic plan.

Reporting on the measles epidemic situation at Children's Hospital 1, Dr. Cao Minh Hiep, Deputy Head of the General Planning Department, said that under the close direction of the Ministry of Health, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and the Department of Health, Children's Hospital 1 has proactively developed a detailed plan to respond to epidemic situations since the beginning of the year.

The hospital has synchronously deployed measures such as setting up isolation areas, triaging patients, preparing human resources, supplies, equipment, medicines and infusion fluids.

24/7 mobile anti-epidemic teams were established, along with screening and triage right at the gate of the examination department.

Regarding logistics and coordination, the hospital has had a plan to bid for drug reserves (IVIG, emergency drugs...), supplies, and anti-epidemic equipment since the beginning of the year.

The hospital proactively organizes supply in many forms, including direct import (IVIG...). Continuous coordination of patients between departments is carried out effectively.

The hospital also developed guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of measles, set up temporary isolation areas in the clinical department, and increased vaccination efforts. Thanks to that, the epidemic was controlled and ended early.

Dr. Le Hong Nga, Deputy Director of the City Center for Disease Control, said that up to now, Ho Chi Minh City has vaccinated more than 99% of its population, in addition to children, more than 3,000 medical staff have also been vaccinated. Children in the risk group are vaccinated up to the age of 16.

Thanks to the effectiveness in treatment and prevention of infection, by March 27, the locality had 22 wards and communes in District 1, District 4 and Cu Chi District that met the conditions for the City People's Committee to issue a decision to declare the end of the measles epidemic.

The declaration of an epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City is an important legal basis for fully implementing the epidemic prevention plan, which includes proactively sourcing vaccines. Thanks to the selective vaccination campaign for children aged 1 to 10, the increase in measles cases in this age group has been contained.

However, selective vaccination strategies in the context of inadequate child management may slow down the progress of the campaign, thereby prolonging the time to control the epidemic and affecting other age groups.

Therefore, there needs to be synchronization in the implementation of vaccination campaigns between provinces and cities to effectively control the epidemic.

Therefore, the Ministry of Health needs to upgrade and develop NIIS, put personal identification codes into the system for management; improve vaccination statistical analysis tools to suit the increasingly diverse vaccine sources; the implementation of updating, reviewing and managing vaccination subjects must be carried out regularly and ensure quality in all provinces and cities nationwide.

Proactive and effective in disease prevention and control

Overview of the working session. (Photo: CHI MAI)

Master, Doctor Vo Hai Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention, Ministry of Health emphasized that although the southern region has experienced a period with a large number of measles cases, the positive signal is that the number of new cases is showing a sharp downward trend. With this momentum, the southern region will soon control and completely repel the epidemic.

However, the Deputy Director also pointed out a noteworthy issue, which is that the large number of previous measles cases has created a significant immunity gap in the community.

This means that there is still a large part of the population that is not immune to the measles virus, including infants - whose immune systems are still weak and vulnerable.

In that context, Dr. Vo Hai Son especially emphasized the important supporting role of Children's Hospital.

The hospital has promptly provided technical support and valuable professional suggestions to the Central Highlands provinces, where the epidemic situation can be complicated.

One of the important proposals is to organize catch-up vaccination and measles vaccination earlier for at-risk groups, especially children, to quickly fill the gap in natural immunity that has formed in the community.

Dr. Vo Hai Son also emphasized the importance of continuing to strengthen technical support and updating new knowledge on vaccination for medical staff at all levels, ensuring that measles prevention is carried out in the most effective and scientific manner.

This not only helps improve the capacity to respond to current epidemics but also contributes to building a strong preventive healthcare system in the future.

Professor, Dr. Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Minister of Health, expressed his deep impression of the organization of examination and treatment of infectious diseases, especially measles in children, which was implemented in a fundamental, methodical and high-standard manner at Children's Hospital 1.

This is an ideal model for other localities to learn from in responding to epidemics.

The Deputy Minister also welcomed the Department of Health for promptly and closely monitoring the measles situation, promptly announcing the epidemic and deploying 300,000 doses of vaccine, demonstrating proactiveness and effectiveness in disease prevention and control.

The Deputy Minister of Health said that the measles epidemic is showing signs of increasing in the northern and north-central provinces, affecting all ages due to the disruption in vaccination during the Covid-19 period.

To proactively respond, it is necessary to continue to strictly implement instructions from the Government and the Ministry of Health, and at the same time develop a comprehensive response plan for all epidemic situations.

“It is extremely important to strengthen infection control in health facilities, ensure adequate resources for drugs and equipment, and promote communication to raise public awareness about vaccination and disease signs.

In addition, it is necessary to focus on training for medical staff at lower levels and in southern provinces and cities, and at the same time request the central level to issue updated professional guidelines and organize training," the Deputy Minister of Health shared.

According to the Deputy Minister of Health, Ho Chi Minh City, as a leading unit, needs to continue to promote its responsibility, closely follow the direction and support other localities in disease prevention and control; at the same time, perfect the statistical reporting system to have accurate and timely data.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/thanh-pho-ho-chi-minh-tro-thanh-hinh-mau-kiem-soat-dich-soi-post868357.html