In particular, Hanoi has just recorded a case of measles, also the first case of measles in 2024. This measles case is a 10-year-old child (in Tien Phuong commune, Chuong My district, Hanoi city). Previously, this patient had been vaccinated with 3 doses of measles vaccine. This year, Hanoi recorded measles cases earlier. During the same period in 2023, the city did not have any measles cases.
Besides measles cases, from the beginning of 2024 until now, Hanoi has recorded 46 cases of whooping cough, in 20 districts; The number of cases increased compared to the same period in 2023. The majority of cases are children under 2 months old (accounting for 52.2%), the proportion of unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated children accounts for 70% of cases. .
Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health) Hoang Minh Duc said that measles cases recorded nationwide tend to be high during the period from January to April. The cycle of measles is about 4-5 days. year will return. It is predicted that a measles epidemic may occur in 2024.
One of the reasons for the increase in measles cases is due to a decrease in the rate of measles vaccination in the expanded vaccination program, due to the COVID-19 epidemic and the slow supply of vaccines in the 2022-2023 period.
Statistics from the Expanded Immunization Program show that the vaccination rate in 2023 is lower than in the years 2017-2019, reaching only 84% of the vaccination coverage rate needed to prevent measles transmission. transmission in the community must reach at least 95%. Hanoi Department of Health added that, next week, the health sector will continue to strengthen surveillance and early detection of outbreaks and clusters of hand, foot and mouth disease cases, especially especially in preschool and elementary school. Organize environmental sanitation and disinfection activities to prevent hand, foot and mouth disease at preschools and kindergartens when there are cases or outbreaks… Strengthen communication and provide timely and complete information on the epidemic situation and measures to prevent some summer diseases such as hand, foot and mouth disease, whooping cough, chickenpox, measles, rubella… Recommend that people proactively vaccinate their children against diseases according to the schedule of the health sector.
