HANOI: Vietnam has recorded more than 42,000 cases of measles and five deaths related to the disease since the beginning of 2025. However, many parents and caretakers are not fully aware of the danger of measles to young children.
Dương Van Phuong’s son, a nine-month-old boy nicknamed Bo, started experiencing a cough and fever a week ago.
When Phuong took his child to a private clinic near their home in Hanoi for examination, the boy was said to have middle ear inflammation and was given instructions for treatment at home.
However, after two days, his condition worsened with persistent high fever and coughing even with medication.
“We then took him to Saint Paul General Hospital, where he was diagnosed with measles. All of the ventilators available here were occupied, so we had to transfer him to Hanoi Children’s Hospital,” Phuong told Voice of Vietnam (VOV).
“When he was admitted, the doctor said one of his lungs showed up entirely white on the X ray, as part of it had collapsed, therefore he needed to be on continuous ventilation. Only then did we truly realise the danger he was in,” said Phuong.
Bo was not vaccinated against measles, unlike his eldest sibling.
Phương said that his oldest child previously had measles but due to full vaccination, the symptoms were mild. The child also recovered quickly and therefore was not isolated from the younger siblings.
When asked why the family did not take Bo to Hanoi’s measles vaccination drive, Phuong said that he and his wife were so busy with work that they were not aware of the campaign.
Vu Thuy Dung from Hai Phong City, who was also tending to her daughter on ventilation due to measles complications, cannot hide her worries.
The child has been in the hospital for two weeks but her condition has not improved.
Dr Truong Huu Khanh, former head of the Infectious Diseases and Neurology at HCM City’s Children’s Hospital 1, said that measles is an acute infectious disease transmitted through the respiratory tract caused by the measles virus.
Symptoms include fever, inflammation of the eye’s conjunctiva, inflammation of the respiratory and digestive tracts, and red rashes that progress from the face to the body of the patient.
Without prompt treatment, the patient’s condition can worsen, leading to complications such as encephalitis, pneumonia, middle ear infection, diarrhoea and even death.
Khanh added: “Complications such as pneumonia, respiratory failure and death can easily occur among young children who have not been vaccinated or received a full dosage of measles vaccine.
“Post-infection complications can include malnutrition, weakened immunity and susceptibility to other illnesses.”
Measles can be treated at home but it requires strong monitoring and adherence to doctor’s prescriptions, he explained.
Khanh also advised paying attention to children’s nutrition, dividing meals into smaller portions and encouraging them to eat to boost immunity.
When they show signs of respiratory distress, rapid breathing, chest retractions or seizures, the family should immediately take them to the hospital to avoid dangerous complications.
The doctor added that a common misconception about measles is that the patient should ‘avoid wind and water.’
He explained that this baseless abstinence can make the child more uncomfortable due to increased itching, leading to disrupted sleep. This further leads to fatigue and loss of appetite, causing a decline in the child’s immunity.
Instead, parents can wipe the child’s body with lukewarm water, which can minimise the risk of the child catching a cold leading to secondary pneumonia. In addition, the child should stay in a well-ventilated room.
In the current situation where measles outbreaks remain complicated, parents and caretakers should ensure that children from six months of age and above receive the measles vaccination, said Khánh.
If parents are unsure whether their child has been fully vaccinated against measles, additional vaccination is recommended as the vaccine does not harm the child’s health.
The doctor also advised that children diagnosed with measles will not need vaccination after contracting the disease. However, for infants under 12 months old, where measles diagnosis is challenging, parents can still opt for supplementary measles vaccination. - Vietnam News/ANN
