Rush to Get Flu Vaccines
Ms. Nguyễn Ngọc Diệp (38 years old) brought her 6-year-old daughter to get flu vaccines at VNVC Center Nguyễn Duy Trinh 1 in District Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City. Ms. Diệp shared that both she and her daughter suffer from asthma, which causes difficulty breathing and fatigue when the weather changes.
Fearing that catching the flu would be too much for their bodies to handle, they decided to get vaccinated. “This is the second year my daughter and I have gotten flu vaccines. Since then, I’ve noticed an improvement in our health, with fewer symptoms like coughing and fever,” Ms. Diệp said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lê Minh Cường (22 years old, from Nghệ An) revealed that he plans to study abroad and is getting vaccinated to protect himself during his travels.
“I heard that the flu situation is complex in Taiwan and Japan, including actress Tu Hy Vy who recently passed away due to the flu. So, I decided to get vaccinated proactively. Additionally, I also got pneumococcal and varicella vaccines,” Mr. Cường shared.
Many people lined up to get vaccinated at Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Disease Hospital after Tet holiday (Photo: Hoàng Lê).
Dr. Bạch Thị Chính, Medical Director of VNVC System, reported that across nearly 220 centers nationwide, there was a significant increase in the number of children and adults coming for flu vaccinations starting from the fourth day of Tet (when the system resumed operations). The peak occurred immediately after news of actress Tu Hy Vy’s death in Japan due to the flu, leading to a surge in flu vaccine demand.
As a result, the number of inquiries about flu vaccines through the hotline and website increased significantly.
Vaccination Centers See Double the Volume
According to VNVC data, the number of people voluntarily getting flu shots increased by nearly 200% compared to usual days. In particular, adults and senior citizens accounted for nearly 50% of those vaccinated.
People receiving flu vaccines at a VNVC center (Photo: VNVC).
Many parents took the opportunity to bring their children for flu vaccines before returning to school, concerned about potential infections in communal settings. Many adults also proactively vaccinated themselves and their families against the flu and other respiratory illnesses.
Additionally, other vaccines such as pneumococcal 13, pneumococcal 23, pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus, and measles vaccines saw increased demand due to heightened awareness of respiratory diseases.
Speaking with Dan Tri reporters, a representative from FPT Long Châu Vaccination System noted a significant increase in customers seeking flu and pneumococcal vaccines recently.
The reasons include changing seasons and widespread reports of infectious diseases, which have raised public health concerns. Specifically, during the past two months, the number of visitors to vaccination centers doubled compared to the previous period. Both children and adults were equally represented among those vaccinated.
In the early part of the year, the number of adult patients, especially those with underlying or chronic conditions, increased notably.
Vaccination numbers at Long Châu have doubled compared to previous periods (Photo: LC).
Dr. Nguyễn Trung Cấp, Deputy Director of the National Tropical Diseases Hospital, stated that the number of people getting flu shots at the hospital’s vaccination center has doubled compared to the same period last year.
At Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Disease Hospital, Dr. Võ Xuân Huy, Head of the Outpatient Department, noted that during Tet, many people came for vaccinations, particularly for infectious diseases like tetanus, rabies, and the flu.
On average, there are 130-150 flu vaccinations per month, a 50% increase over the previous period, according to Dr. Huy.
He explained that the flu season typically runs from October to April, and recent news about actress Tu Hy Vy’s death from the flu, combined with warnings about increasing cases and severe illness, has heightened public awareness of the importance of vaccination.
Moreover, healthcare professionals’ more detailed advice has helped people recognize the importance of getting vaccinated.
