An infant gets vaccinated in HCM City. (Photo: VNA)hospitalised in with this year has sharply
increased compared with the same period a year ago, according to the city’s
.
So far this year, there have been 10,115 cases of dengue
fever, an increase of 243 percent.
The number of hand, cases increased
by 22 percent, while the number of measles patients increased by 1,560.
Every district has suffered from outbreaks of measles, with district
8, Binh Tan and Binh Chanh districts reporting the highest numbers.
Of the 1,564 cases this year, 96 percent did not get
vaccinated and 48 percent were children aged 18 months to 10 years.
The centre warned that people should take preventive
measures such as getting vaccinated.
Under a plan to replace the Korean-made Quinvaxem
five-in-one vaccine in the national expanded immunisation programme, the city
started using the ComBE Five from February 11.
It protects infants against five common life-threatening
diseases – diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus
influenza type B.
This year 6,153 infants had got the vaccine as of March 21.
Of them, 597 had normal reactions such as fever, swelling at the vaccination
site and others.
There were no cases of severe complications from the
vaccine, according to the municipal Department of Health.
In January the department had instructed the centre to
collaborate with Paediatrics Hospital No.1 to provide training to staff at the
vaccine supply facility in all 24 district health centres, 314 ward and commune
health stations, 14 hospitals and other centres.
It was aimed at teaching them to monitor and treat infants
suffering from severe reactions to vaccination.
The centre urged people to take their children to health
stations near their house to get counselling and vaccinations.
Every child in the city is entitled to free vaccinations
under the national expanded immunisation programme.-VNS/VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
