On February 19, the People’s Committee of Vietnam capital city of Hanoi issued Official Dispatch 539/UBND-KGVX, directing intensified efforts to prevent influenza, measles, and other respiratory infections.
The directive came as measles cases remain high in Hanoi, primarily among unvaccinated individuals or those with incomplete immunization, and the city has also recorded three COVID-19 cases in the year to date.
As the winter-spring season sets in, with monsoon weather and high humidity fostering the spread of respiratory diseases, authorities anticipate a rise in flu and measles cases. Additionally, increased travel and crowded public events during early-year festivals heighten the risk of disease transmission.
To proactively prevent outbreaks, the municipal administration instructed the Health Department to closely monitor the disease situation, strengthen health screenings at Noi Bai International Airport, and enhance surveillance at medical facilities and within communities.
The Health Department was also tasked with ensuring adequate supplies of medicine, medical equipment, and facilities to promptly receive and treat patients, minimizing severe cases and fatalities, especially among high-risk groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, children, and patients in intensive care, surgery, dialysis, and cardiology wards. Hospitals must remain prepared for a surge in admissions.
Furthermore, hospitals were urged to strictly adhere to screening, triage, isolation, and infection control protocols to prevent cross-infections and avoid outbreaks within healthcare facilities. (Dau Tu, Dan Tri)