Over recent days, hundreds of children have been taken to the Da Nang Preventive Medicine Centre by their parents to have Japanese B encephalitis vaccinations as a result of recent outbreaks of the disease in northern provinces. 

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health regulations suggest that the vaccinations should be given to children once they reach the age of 12 months.  However, of the children vaccinated on Thursday morning for example, an estimated over 80% were aged between 2 and 10.  The city’s Preventive Medicine Centre said that 200 doses of the vaccine had been used every day over the last 3 days, which is the highest figure ever recorded in the city.

Many children waiting to receive their Japanese B encephalitis vaccinations

Unlike other cities and provinces across the country, Da Nang appears to be a locality which is safe and has not yet been affected by this outbreak.  Only one case of the disease has been recorded, in Hoa Vang District last April. 

Japanese B encephalitis, if not detected and treated promptly, will leave serious complications such as cerebral palsy and slow physical development, and it can be fatal.  Children should receive their first Japanese B encephalitis shot at 12 months old, the second a week later, and the third a year later.  They then should continue to receive another dose each year until they are 15.