Hanoi, Aug 23 (IANS): Vietnam's Health Ministry has launched a campaign to provide measles vaccines for children in 100 districts and towns of 18 localities at a high risk of outbreaks, local media reported.

Based on the World Health Organisation's assessment toolkit, the Ministry has assessed the risk of measles outbreaks in 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam and decided to deploy the vaccination campaign, Xinhua news agency reported.

Vaccines are provided free of charge for children aged one to ten, along with medical staff at risk at medical examination and treatment facilities and those who have not had the required number of vaccinations as prescribed, Vietnam News Agency reported.

According to the Ministry's Department of Preventive Medicine, Vietnam has reported more than 2,000 measles cases since early this year.

The southern hub Ho Chi Minh City logged more than 500 cases and three fatalities.

The Health Ministry reported that since the beginning of the year, Vietnam has recorded a total of 1,695 cases of rashes suspected of measles, nearly seven times higher than the same period last year. In addition, 676 cases tested positive for the measles virus, marking an increase of 22.5 times compared to last year.

The disease is showing signs of spreading on a large scale in 18 localities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Tinh, Dong Nai, Long An, Soc Trang, Binh Phuoc, Kien Giang, Quang Nam, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Tay Ninh. Ho Chi Minh City alone has logged more than 500 cases so far this year, including three fatalities.

Ho Chi Minh City has now met the conditions to declare a measles epidemic as cases there have already exceeded the average number recorded in the previous three years in the same period, said Hoang Minh Duc, director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Health Ministry.

The health professional warned that the number of infections may continue to rise as millions of schoolchildren will begin a new school year over the next couple of days.