Measles cases increase in the North, many patients become seriously ill

The Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC) recorded 44 measles cases last week, an increase of 19 cases compared to the previous week and an increase compared to the same period in 2023. In the first 11 months of the year, the total number of cases was 87, in 23 districts, with no deaths. The CDC said the number of cases continued to increase, mainly in people who had not been vaccinated or had not been fully vaccinated.

Hanoi Children's Hospital, the capital's final medical facility, has received more than 40 cases since it opened in early October. Many children from neighboring provinces have come for treatment. Dr. Do Thi Thuy Nga, Deputy Director of Hanoi Children's Hospital, said that children under one year old account for more than 40%, many of whom are not yet old enough to be vaccinated, and about 30% of those hospitalized are in serious condition, requiring oxygen or mechanical ventilation. In addition, the hospital has also recorded a number of cases in children over five years old.

Like a 3-month-old baby in Thanh Tri district, who showed symptoms of cough, fever, and rash. At first, the rash appeared on the face, but after a few days it spread all over the body with itching. When admitted to Hanoi Children's Hospital, it had become severe and he had pneumonia. Next to this baby's bed was a 2-year-old patient with a high fever and rash all over his body. The baby had had measles once, but his family did not vaccinate him. This time, the illness was more serious, with difficulty breathing. Both children had to be put on oxygen.

The Tropical Disease Center, Bach Mai Hospital, in December received many adult measles patients with severe complications, an increase compared to the same period last year. For example, a 38-year-old man in Thanh Hoa had a fever for 5 consecutive days, sore throat, upper respiratory tract infection, and a rash all over his body with itching. At the provincial hospital, he was diagnosed with rash fever, treatment did not progress, and was transferred to Bach Mai Hospital for testing to confirm measles virus infection, requiring intensive treatment.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, the Hai Duong Center for Disease Control recorded a measles outbreak in Tan Dan Ward (Kinh Mon). The first case was recorded on December 4, followed by four more infected patients. Of these, four had not been vaccinated and one had received two doses of measles vaccine.

This outbreak brings the number of measles cases in Hai Duong to 18 since the beginning of the year, an increase of 11 cases compared to the same period in 2023. The patients are mainly children, and no deaths have been recorded.

The number of measles cases in Hanoi and some northern provinces has increased, but still accounts for a low rate compared to the whole country. The Ministry of Health has recorded nearly 5,000 positive cases nationwide since the beginning of the year, 111 times higher than in 2023. Localities with high numbers of suspected and positive measles cases are Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Nghe An, Dak Lak, Binh Duong, Hanoi, Khanh Hoa, Thanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Can Tho, and Dong Thap.

In Ho Chi Minh City alone, measles cases have increased to a record high, with the total number of cases since the beginning of the year reaching more than 1,800, with three deaths. In mid-November, for the first time, the number of cases exceeded 200 in a week, while in previous weeks, the number was around 100.

Measles cases nationwide have increased in line with the general situation worldwide. The world recorded 10.3 million cases, an increase of 20% compared to 2022, of which more than 107,000 died, mostly children under 5 years old. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of an increase in measles cases and the risk of outbreaks in many regions of the world.

Experts see the 2024 measles outbreak as a result of the natural disease cycle combined with low vaccination rates. More than 90% of hospitalized children were unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated. The period of social isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic caused many children to miss important vaccinations, while parents were less vigilant about booster vaccination schedules, leading to an increase in cases, especially among children under 9 months of age - a group that is not yet old enough to be vaccinated.

In addition, adults mistakenly believe that measles mainly affects children and has been controlled by vaccines, so they are easily subjective. Many people have symptoms, go to the doctor and are misdiagnosed as having allergies, and when they go to the hospital, they find out they have measles, and the disease has become severe.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said another reason for the increase in cases is population movement and the omission of unvaccinated children at schools. A recent survey of 35 children aged 1-5 with measles in the city showed that 23% of the children had no information on the National Immunization Information System and 17% of the children had their addresses declared in another province. In addition, the survey of children with measles also found that 13 schools reported having completed the vaccination campaign but still had children who had not been vaccinated.

Measles is an acute and dangerous infectious disease transmitted through the respiratory tract by a virus of the Paramyxoviridae family, which can spread into an epidemic. Measles virus is easily transmitted through the air or droplets, the risk group is unvaccinated children or immunocompromised adults. Measles in adults or children can cause dangerous complications such as encephalitis, pneumonia, conjunctivitis, keratitis, secondary infection causing otitis media, enteritis.

The disease can be safely prevented by vaccination. The current measles vaccine for adults is the 3-in-1 MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine, which will help prevent the disease and its complications. In addition, it is necessary to maintain environmental and personal hygiene, improve health to increase resistance and wear a mask when in contact with sick people.

Children should receive the first dose at 9 months of age, the second dose at 15-18 months, and the third dose at 4-6 years of age. For children at high risk or living in an epidemic area, doctors may consider giving the vaccine as early as 6 months of age. Full vaccination not only protects the individual child but also helps reduce the risk of spreading the disease in the community.