Mattias Larsson. Photo courtesy of Family Medical Practice by Mattias Larsson* Vaccines are one of the pillars in modern medicine that has contributed to decreasing child mortality from about 20 per cent of live born children down to in Việt Nam 1.5 per cent and in most western countries 3-5 per 1,000 live born children. Most children in Việt Nam, about 90-95 per cent, are reported to have received their vaccinations according to the general vaccination programme. But still, some parents are concerned about the vaccine's safety and side effects. Are their concerns justified? Mild side effects such as fever or redness and soreness or pain at the injection site are common and are just a sign that the body is responding properly. More serious side effects can be allergic reactions or febrile seizures that affect one in ten thousand. But these side effects are transient or can be treated. The measles epidemic in Việt Nam in 2014 had more than 15,033 confirmed cases and 146 fatalities among young unvaccinated children. The first MPR vaccine is given at 12 months of age. During the first year of life, the child has a certain protection from the mother, provided that the mother has adequate protection. Measles is caused by a virus and the disease is highly contagious, there is a risk for permanent disabilities and death. The risk of complications is great, every fifth patient gets one or more complications. About one in a thousand risks encephalitis which can cause permanent damage, such as lifelong paralysis and in the worst case death. To be protected against measles, you must have either had the disease or been vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine. In 1982, the MPR vaccine was introduced, which began to be given in two doses and which provides adequate protection. However, many parents are still afraid that the MPR vaccine, against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), can cause autism. It is known today that there is no connection. …
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VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 7
15th National Assembly expected to have 500 seats There will be a total of 500 seats in the 15th National Assembly at both central and local levels, according to a new resolution adopted by the National Assembly Standing Committee. Minister promises greatest efforts to ensure safety in COVID-19 vaccinations The Ministry of Health will mobilise all resources to carry out COVID-19 vaccinations, the largest-ever vaccination programme, so as to ensure absolute safety for people, Minister Nguyen Thanh Long has said. Long chaired a teleconference which was organised on March 6 and connected with 700 places across Vietnam to launch the vaccination plan and provide related training for medical workers nationwide in the use and storage of the vaccine, as well as the treatment of post-injection complications. He informed the teleconference that the vaccination programme will start on March 8, although the first batch of vaccine arrived in Vietnam on February 24. “As the vaccine is new, we need to carry out thoroughly,” Long said, adding that Vietnam has to obtain an accreditation certificate from the producer and reassess the safety index of the batch of vaccine. Because of the limited number of vaccine, the ministry cannot allocate for all 63 provinces and cities, but for 13 pandemic-hit localities, with priority given to Hai Duong province – Vietnam’s largest outbreak at present, he added. The minister asked localities which have yet to receive the vaccine to prepare and make training programmes as the ministry will allocate vaccines to them when more are transported to Vietnam in March. COVAC and AstraZeneca have agreed to provide 30 million doses each for Vietnam this year, the minister said, adding the ministry asked the producers to hand over the vaccines to Vietnam before September and is negotiating with Pfizer to buy an additional 30 million doses from this producer. The ministry has assigned three deputy ministers to be …
Vietnam records three more COVID-19 cases on March 7 afternoon
The new cases included two imported who were quarantined in Bac Ninh Province right after their arrival, and one in Hai Duong Province. The new patients brought the total count in the country to 2,512, including 1,585 domestically-transmitted cases. The Treatment Subcommittee reported that a total of 1,920 patients had been given the all-clear from the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 so far, and the fatalities remained at 35. Among the active patients undergoing treatment, 65 tested negative to the virus once, 57 twice and 137 thrice. As many as 45,219 people who had close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions are being quarantined across the country, including 506 in hospitals, 14,266 in other establishments, and 30,446 at home. …
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