Measures for preventing seasonal influenza according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam
What are the preventive measures for seasonal influenza according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam?
Based on Section 3 of the Guideline for Diagnosing and Treating Seasonal Influenza issued with Decision 2078/QD-BYT in 2011, the measures for preventing seasonal influenza as guided by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam include:
[1] General Disease Prevention Measures
- Must wear a mask when in contact with individuals suspected of having influenza.
- Increase handwashing.
- Maintain respiratory hygiene when coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid crowded places when an outbreak occurs.
[2] Preventing Transmission from Patients
- Isolate the patient in a separate room.
- Patients must wear masks during treatment.
- Regularly clean and disinfect the patient’s room, clothing, and tools.
[3] Protection for Healthcare Workers
- Routine handwashing before and after visiting patients with soap or fast-acting sanitizers.
- Protective gear, including masks, gloves, caps, shoe covers, or boots, and face shields, must always be available in isolation areas and used correctly and as needed. Post-use, they should be handled according to the Ministry of Health’s regulations.
- Surveillance: Prepare a list of healthcare workers directly caring for and treating patients, staff working in departments with patients, and laboratory staff handling specimens. These workers need daily monitoring for fever and clinical symptoms.
- Pregnant staff or those with chronic heart or lung diseases should avoid contacting patients.
[4] Influenza Vaccination
- It is recommended to get the influenza vaccine annually.
- High-risk groups for influenza should receive the flu vaccination, including:
+ Healthcare workers
+ Children aged 6 months to 8 years;
+ Individuals with chronic diseases (chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, heart failure, diabetes, immunocompromised conditions…)
+ People over 65 years old
[5] Prophylaxis with Medication
- Prophylactic treatment with the antiviral drug Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) may be administered to high-risk individuals exposed to patients with confirmed influenza diagnosis.
- The prophylactic treatment duration is 10 days.
- Dosage is as follows:
Adults and children > 13 years: 75 mg once daily
Children ≥ 12 months to ≤ 13 years:
≤ 15 kg: 30 mg once daily
> 15 kg to 23 kg: 45 mg once daily
> 23 kg to 40 kg: 60 mg once daily
> 40 kg: 75 mg once daily
Children <12 months
< 3 months: Not recommended unless carefully considered
3-5 months: 20 mg once daily
6-11 months: 25 mg once daily
Measures for preventing seasonal influenza according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam (Image from the Internet)
How many levels of seasonal influenza are there?
According to Subsection 2, Section 1 of the Guideline for Diagnosing and Treating Seasonal Influenza issued with Decision 2078/QD-BYT in 2011 regarding diagnosis:
I. DIAGNOSIS
[...]
- Diagnosis of Disease Severity:
Uncomplicated influenza (mild influenza):
- Clinically manifests as a simple influenza syndrome.
Influenza with complications (severe influenza):
- Suspected or confirmed cases with any of the following manifestations:
+ Lung damage with clinical respiratory failure (fast breathing, breathlessness, decreased SpO2, decreased PaO2) and/or:
+ Secondary complications such as sinusitis, bacterial pneumonia, septic shock, multi-organ failure.
+ Worsening signs of existing chronic conditions (lung disease, liver disease, renal failure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, blood disorders)
- High-risk groups for developing complicated influenza include:
[...]
According to the above regulation, seasonal influenza has 2 levels:
- Uncomplicated influenza (mild influenza): Clinically manifests as a simple influenza syndrome.
- Influenza with complications (severe influenza): Suspected or confirmed cases with any of the following manifestations:
+ Lung damage with clinical respiratory failure (fast breathing, breathlessness, decreased SpO2, decreased PaO2) and/or:
+ Secondary complications such as sinusitis, bacterial pneumonia, septic shock, multi-organ failure.
+ Worsening signs of existing chronic conditions (lung disease, liver disease, renal failure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, blood disorders)
Is influenza an infectious disease?
According to Article 3 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 2007 (supplemented by Article 1 of Decision 740/QD-BYT in 2016) stipulating the classification of infectious diseases:
Article 3. Classification of Infectious Diseases
- Infectious diseases include the following groups:
a) Group A consists of particularly dangerous infectious diseases that can spread very quickly, widely, and have a high mortality rate or their causative agent is unknown.
Infectious diseases classified in Group A include poliomyelitis; influenza A-H5N1; plague; smallpox; hemorrhagic fevers caused by Ebola, Lassa, or Marburg viruses; West Nile fever; yellow fever; cholera; severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by viruses, and newly emerging dangerous infectious diseases with unknown causative agents;
b) Group B includes dangerous infectious diseases that can spread quickly and may cause death.
Infectious diseases classified in group B include those caused by Adenovirus; diseases caused by human immunodeficiency virus leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS); diphtheria; influenza; rabies; whooping cough; pulmonary tuberculosis; human Streptococcus suis infections; amoebic dysentery; bacillary dysentery; mumps; dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever; malaria; exanthematous fever; measles; hand-foot-mouth disease; anthrax; varicella (chickenpox); typhoid; tetanus; rubeon; viral hepatitis; meningococcal meningitis; viral encephalitis; leptospirosis; and rotavirus diarrheal disease;
[...]
According to the above regulation, influenza A-H5N1 is classified under Group A infectious diseases, and influenza is classified under Group B infectious diseases.
