The figures were unveiled at a press conference on May 29 by the Health Ministry. The Ministry pointed out that although the number of measles patients is subsiding, the epidemic is complicated and unpredictable, showing no signs of going away at this time.

It is essential to pay proper attention to providing measles vaccination for children under two years old who have not yet received two doses guarding against the deadly virus, the ministry said.

By May 27, the measles vaccination ratio in Vietnam hit 96.1% on average. The Health Ministry plans to launch a vaccination campaign against measles and rubella for children between 1 to 14 years old this August.

In addition, the Ministry asked localities nationwide to take preventive measures to deal with infectious diseases, such as dengue fever, hand-foot-mouth, Mers-CoV, and avian influenza.

Dr. Truong Dinh Bac, Deputy Head of the Health Ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department, advised people to implement sanitation measures to reduce the number of dengue fever patients during the coming rainy season.