Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health denied information that a case of diphtheria appeared in the area

Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) affirmed that the city has not recorded a case of diphtheria as information is spreading on social networks. According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, the most recent case of diphtheria was discovered in 2020.

At a press conference providing information on socio-economic issues in Ho Chi Minh City on the afternoon of July 11, Mr. Nguyen Hong Tam said that currently, Ho Chi Minh City has not had any new cases of diphtheria. A lot of information spread on social networks. The most recent case of diphtheria appeared in the city in 2020 and the patient came from another province.

According to him, diphtheria is an acute bacterial infection with pseudomembranes in the tonsil glands, pharynx, larynx, and nose. The disease can appear in the skin, other mucous membranes such as the conjunctiva or genitals.

Symptoms of this disease are the appearance of a white film on the nasopharynx with cough, fever, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, bluish skin, runny nose on one or both sides that may be mixed with blood... The disease causes complications of obstruction. respiratory tract, heart failure, multi-organ failure, neurotoxic complications leading to the patient not surviving. Diphtheria has a vaccine to prevent and specific treatment drugs. If detected and treated early, it will be cured.

According to HCDC representatives, diphtheria is easily spread from person to person through the respiratory tract, if there is direct contact with a sick person or contact with objects contaminated with the patient's secretions. To avoid spreading, patients need to be isolated.

"Currently, on social networks there are rumors of diphtheria appearing in Ho Chi Minh City, however I confirm that the city has not recorded any cases" - Mr. Nguyen Hong Tam emphasized.

Also on July 11, the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) issued a recommendation after some northern localities had diphtheria cases, raising the risk of the disease spreading to Ho Chi Minh City. high, because the city is a major trade hub and has a large population.

According to data from HCDC, as of week 27, the city recorded 53 cases of measles and 44 cases of whooping cough. From the beginning of 2024 until now, some Northern provinces have recorded cases of diphtheria. These are all infectious diseases that have vaccines in the expanded vaccination program.

Director of HCDC recommends that people be vaccinated against diphtheria. Currently, children are vaccinated with diphtheria vaccine for free, including 3 basic doses at 2, 3, 4 months of age and 1 booster dose at 18 months of age.

Adults and older children who have not been vaccinated or have not been vaccinated should go to a vaccination facility for advice and full vaccination.

People need to keep their nose, throat, hands and feet clean, and keep their houses airy, clean and with enough light. Make sure to eat it cooked and drink it boiled. Limit contact with people who have or are suspected of having the disease. When you have suspicious symptoms, you must immediately go to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment.

Also according to HCDC, the city's health sector is reviewing and establishing a stricter mechanism to overcome limitations at the ward/commune health level in missing children of vaccination age.

HCDC statistics show that the average rate of missing children in the whole city is 20%; The ward/commune has the highest omission rate of 38.9% and the lowest of 9.1%.

To fix this, the ward/commune health station will collect a list of community children, i.e. children who do not go to school or children who are cared for in spontaneous residential children's groups in each neighborhood/hamlet to update the system. National vaccination information management. For children going to school, the educational institution will make a list of children by class and send this list to the local health station for synthesis, review and updating to the system.

According to Master, Doctor Le Hong Nga, Deputy Director of HCDC, reviewing children to create a management list in the area is a must-do job to proactively vaccinate and enhance children's immunity to diseases. There are vaccines to prevent measles, whooping cough, etc.