Seven children die of complications from measles

Seven children die of complications from measles

Measles, which has spread throughout many localities in Vietnam since late 2013, has killed at least seven children who suffered from complications caused by the disease, the Preventive Health Department under the Health Ministry reported.

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Of the seven deaths, recorded from January 30, 2014 to date, five occurred at the Central Pediatrics Hospital in Hanoi and the two others in Yen Bai Province, the department said.

So far, the disease has spread to at least five localities, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and northern Lao Cai, Son La, and Yen Bai provinces.

By yesterday, 253 cases of measles were recorded in Yen Bai, 120 cases in Lao Cai, and 138 cases in HCMC, the department reported.

The deaths have occurred mainly to children who never received a vaccination against the disease, or received an insufficient or improperly scheduled vaccination.

Measles is a benign disease but it can cause rapid immunodeficiency, leading to other diseases including pneumonia and diarrhea, which can be very serious and even cause death, said Tran Dac Phu, head of the department.

In order to combat the spread of measles, all children who have yet to be vaccinated must be offered vaccinations and those who have just received the first shot should be offered the second shot on schedule, said Dr. Phan Trong Lan, head of the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City.

In Vietnam, children receive the first anti-measles vaccination when they are 9 months old, and they receive the second shot when they are 18 months old.

The first shot offers the child an 85 percent protection rate, while the second shot boosts this rate to 95-99 percent, said Dr. Lan.

According to the HCMC Preventive Health Center, the disease has been recorded across the city, mainly affecting children under three years of age.

With an aim to prevent the spread of measles, the center has asked its units in all 24 districts of the city to take effective measures to cope with the disease.

All children aged 9 months to three years must be vaccinated against measles, the center said, adding that children with high fever, continuous coughing, runny noses, and rashes on their bodies should be taken to the hospital for examination immediately.

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