Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen (standing) chairs an online meeting on communicable diseases and vaccinations on September 21. Health officials and workers from 700 locations across Vietnam joined the meeting, which also included updated treatment schemes for dengue and diphtheria. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vaccinations must take place safely andeffectively, particularly in remote disadvantaged areas where vaccinationcoverage remained modest, Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen said onSeptember 21.
Speaking at a national online meeting on communicable diseases andvaccinations, Tuyen highlighted a diphtheria outbreak in Vietnam’s CentralHighland region over the last few months which claimed four deaths. Most of thedetected cases were people who had not been vaccinated.
“While Vietnam has done a good job in controlling COVID-19, we still facechallenges in tackling other communicable diseases like dengue, measles,hand-foot-mouth disease and diphtheria,” he said.
Late this year and early next year, diseases could develop as wet weathercreates favourable conditions for disease-causing virus/bacteria to develop.
“Vietnam has been implementing two tasks - disease prevention and control andsocio-economic development as directed by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc,” Tuyensaid, emphasising that it was crucial to minimise the risks of other diseasesthat broke out at the same time.
“We need to analyse the development of each disease in specific areas to identifyand solve any problems,” he said.
“As we follow these steps we are receiving recommendations for furthereffective disease prevention and control. Communication must be promoted forpeople to better understand and actively protect themselves from diseases,” Tuyensaid.
Dang Quang Tan, head of the Health Ministry’s General Department of PreventiveMedicine, said that since the beginning of this year, 198 diphtheria cases hadbeen reported in Vietnam, including 172 cases in the Central Highland region,22 cases in central provinces and four cases in southern provinces.
No cases had been detected in Vietnam’s northern provinces since 2015.
Of the reported cases, two people died in the Central Highland province of DakNong, one in Kon Tum and one in Gia Lai.
Notably, 161 cases had not been vaccinated.
In the first nine months of last year, only 41 diphtheria cases were reported,with three deaths.
“Most diphtheria outbreaks occur in remote disadvantaged areas that are home toethnic groups, and they are usually unwilling to have vaccinations,” Tan said,adding that in some areas diphtheria had not appeared for a long time sograssroots healthcare workers lacked the experience to detect and diagnose thedisease.
“Old people are becoming infected with diphtheria because they have not been.This is due to the ineffective implementation of the expanded nationalvaccination programme,” Tan said.
Even people who receive four diphtheria vaccine doses during childhood stillneed to have a booster shot as immunity against diphtheria is not sustainable.
Tan warned more diphtheria cases could be recorded and in areas where thevaccination programme had failed to reach.
Meanwhile, this year Vietnam has also reported nearly 70,000 dengue fevercases, of which 57 percent were detected in southern provinces, 32 percent incentral provinces, 6 percent in Central Highland provinces and 4 percent innorthern provinces.
The number of has fallen compared with the same period last year and thedevelopment of the disease was basically similar to previous years.
However, in the last two months, the number was increasing, Tan said, addingthat as the rainy season arrived, the situation could become worse and morecomplicated, especially in central and southern provinces like Ben Tre, BinhDinh, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan, Kon Tum,Long An, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Tay Ninh, Tien Giang and HCM City. Hanoi is alsoa hot spot for dengue at this time.
“Preventive measures including intensive communication about killing mosquitoesand larva have been implemented but the disease has still broken out andspread,” Tan said, blaming the problem on poor public awareness.
For example, people, agencies and organisations had not effectively cooperatedon disease prevention and control.
“Without drastic preventive measures, dengue could spread widely as Vietnamloosens social distancing and travel restrictions while weather in the next fewmonths will be very favourable for mosquitoes to grow,” Tan said./.
Speaking at a national online meeting on communicable diseases andvaccinations, Tuyen highlighted a diphtheria outbreak in Vietnam’s CentralHighland region over the last few months which claimed four deaths. Most of thedetected cases were people who had not been vaccinated.
“While Vietnam has done a good job in controlling COVID-19, we still facechallenges in tackling other communicable diseases like dengue, measles,hand-foot-mouth disease and diphtheria,” he said.
Late this year and early next year, diseases could develop as wet weathercreates favourable conditions for disease-causing virus/bacteria to develop.
“Vietnam has been implementing two tasks - disease prevention and control andsocio-economic development as directed by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc,” Tuyensaid, emphasising that it was crucial to minimise the risks of other diseasesthat broke out at the same time.
“We need to analyse the development of each disease in specific areas to identifyand solve any problems,” he said.
“As we follow these steps we are receiving recommendations for furthereffective disease prevention and control. Communication must be promoted forpeople to better understand and actively protect themselves from diseases,” Tuyensaid.
Dang Quang Tan, head of the Health Ministry’s General Department of PreventiveMedicine, said that since the beginning of this year, 198 diphtheria cases hadbeen reported in Vietnam, including 172 cases in the Central Highland region,22 cases in central provinces and four cases in southern provinces.
No cases had been detected in Vietnam’s northern provinces since 2015.
Of the reported cases, two people died in the Central Highland province of DakNong, one in Kon Tum and one in Gia Lai.
Notably, 161 cases had not been vaccinated.
In the first nine months of last year, only 41 diphtheria cases were reported,with three deaths.
“Most diphtheria outbreaks occur in remote disadvantaged areas that are home toethnic groups, and they are usually unwilling to have vaccinations,” Tan said,adding that in some areas diphtheria had not appeared for a long time sograssroots healthcare workers lacked the experience to detect and diagnose thedisease.
“Old people are becoming infected with diphtheria because they have not been.This is due to the ineffective implementation of the expanded nationalvaccination programme,” Tan said.
Even people who receive four diphtheria vaccine doses during childhood stillneed to have a booster shot as immunity against diphtheria is not sustainable.
Tan warned more diphtheria cases could be recorded and in areas where thevaccination programme had failed to reach.
Meanwhile, this year Vietnam has also reported nearly 70,000 dengue fevercases, of which 57 percent were detected in southern provinces, 32 percent incentral provinces, 6 percent in Central Highland provinces and 4 percent innorthern provinces.
The number of has fallen compared with the same period last year and thedevelopment of the disease was basically similar to previous years.
However, in the last two months, the number was increasing, Tan said, addingthat as the rainy season arrived, the situation could become worse and morecomplicated, especially in central and southern provinces like Ben Tre, BinhDinh, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan, Kon Tum,Long An, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Tay Ninh, Tien Giang and HCM City. Hanoi is alsoa hot spot for dengue at this time.
“Preventive measures including intensive communication about killing mosquitoesand larva have been implemented but the disease has still broken out andspread,” Tan said, blaming the problem on poor public awareness.
For example, people, agencies and organisations had not effectively cooperatedon disease prevention and control.
“Without drastic preventive measures, dengue could spread widely as Vietnamloosens social distancing and travel restrictions while weather in the next fewmonths will be very favourable for mosquitoes to grow,” Tan said./.
VNA
