Over 13 million children get free measles - rubella shots

More than 13 million Vietnamese children have been provided free measles-rubella vaccinations, said the Department of Preventative Medicine under the Ministry of Health at a meeting with press in Hanoi on December 23rd.

Providing free measles-rubbella vaccinations to students. (Source: vnexpress.net)

The meeting aimed to provide information about the three month implementation of measles and rubella vaccination campaign for children aged from 1 to 14.

All 63 provinces and cities across Vietnam have been implementing the second phase of the campaign with more than 9.5 million children in 50 provinces and cities receiving free shots.

The first phase from September and October received support from local authorities but encountered several difficulties in public awareness and communication, especially in rural areas.

The second phase started in November and will be complete by the end of December, with the third scheduled to take place in January and February, 2015.

The Department of Preventative Medicine asked localities to promote public awareness of the significance of measles and rubella prevention and prepare adequate vaccines to provide to children; the educational sectors in localities and relevant agencies to check the list of beneficiaries.

(Source: CPV)