Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested ministries, sectors, and localities to strengthen measures to prevent and control diphtheria, given the occurrence of several infected cases and one death.

The Pasteur Institute of HCM City is seeing a surge in vaccination demand, with crowds 7-10 times larger than usual, as many people seek vaccinations following a diphtheria-related death in Nghe An province.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the northern Bac Giang province confirmed that another local resident has contracted diphtheria, a disease that has dangerous complications and especially a high death rate.

A high school student temporarily residing in Bac Giang has tested positive for diphtheria, a dangerous infectious disease with epidemic potential.

Two more local people in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak have been diagnosed with bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria as the outbreak is spreading in the region, the provincial Centre of Diseases Control said on July 12.

The Central Highlands of Dak Nong is seeking to completely isolate the eighth outbreak of diphtheria to contain the spread of the disease and protect the health of local residents.

Vietnam is to launch a large-scale vaccination campaign against diphtheria, starting on July 9, as the contagious disease is evolving in a complex manner in the Central Highlands, with a total of 65 infections, including three deaths.

The Ministry of Health has asked Central Highlands provinces to take urgent preventive measures against diphtheria after 34 people have tested positive and three have died of the disease there.

The Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on Monday evening reported three cases of diphtheria, bringing the total number in the province since the beginning of this year to eight.

Sixteen people in HCM City have been quarantined after the city reported its first diphtheria patient.