More than 100 children killed by measles in Vietnam
Hanoi - The official number of children killed by measles in Vietnam has jumped to 112, according to a report seen by dpa Friday, more than four times the number announced last week.
The fatalities were among 8,500 cases of the disease this year, according to the report by the Health Ministry dated Thursday and sent to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
At a press conference on April 10, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said the death toll was only 25, sparking accusations that officials were trying to cover up the extent of the outbreak.
In 87 per cent of the cases the children had not been vaccinated or their vaccination status was unclear, according to the Health Ministry report.
Hospitals were overloaded with cases and worried parents were bringing healthy children in, spreading the disease further, the report said.
DPA
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