Diphtheria disease remains under control

These cases include three in the northern province of Ha Giang, one in the central province of Nghe An, and two in the northern province of Bac Giang.

The infection case in Nghe An has been reported dead and 134 people in close contact with the deceased have been quarantined.

Diptheria outbreaks remain under control, unlikely to evolve into pandemic, said Dr. Hoang Minh Duc, Director-General of the Ministry of Health's Department of Preventive Medicine.

Earlier, on July 15, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered ministries, sectors, and localities to tighten measures to prevent and control diphtheria which has led to several infected cases and one death.

The Prime Minister tasked the Minister of Health to direct and guide the implementation of measures to prevent and control diphtheria, actively oversee the detection and early handling of outbreaks and organize the vaccination to provide the best protection for the health and lives of patients. He also requested the ministry to provide training to enhance capabilities in monitoring, diagnosing, and curing the disease.

In 1981, diphtheria vaccination was included in the national vaccination program, which is provided to children for free. The disease has been kept under control with only around 10 cases recorded each year within 2004-2019.

Just last year, Viet Nam recorded 57 diphtheria cases in Ha Giang, Dien Bien and Thai Nguyen, 55 of them were recorded within the last five months of the year, including seven deaths, a testament to the disease’s high infection and lethality./.