Hanoi launches intensive inspection campaign for mooncakes.

Districts, counties, and towns should proactively organize specialized or inter-agency inspection teams to check food safety during the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival in communes, wards, and towns; and inspect food production, business, and processing facilities that have been decentralized within their areas.

Simultaneously, trace the origin of unsafe food products; organize the signing of commitments to ensure food safety with food production and business establishments as prescribed.

The City People's Committee has assigned the Department of Health to develop a plan and implement activities in areas under the management of the health sector.

The Department of Health and the Department of Industry and Trade are implementing inspection and monitoring activities to ensure compliance with food safety regulations by food production, processing, and trading establishments in their respective areas of management; with a focus on establishments producing and trading mooncakes, mooncake ingredients, wine, beer, and soft drinks…

The Hanoi Market Management Department, based on its functions and duties, established an inspection team to ensure food safety and control the quality and safety of food products circulating in the city.

Detect, investigate, and strictly handle cases of violations of food safety regulations, especially counterfeit and smuggled goods, focusing on the origin and quality of goods circulating in the market, product labeling, and refer serious cases for prosecution in accordance with the law.

Thanh Hoa: Strengthening prevention and control of diphtheria.

The Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Health has just issued an urgent document to health units in the province, the People's Committee of Muong Lat district, and related units to strengthen the implementation of diphtheria prevention and control measures according to their respective areas of management.

Previously, on August 5th, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Center for Disease Control recorded the first case testing positive for diphtheria. The patient is PLM (born in 2007, residing in Doan Ket neighborhood, Muong Lat town, Muong Lat district).

During the epidemiological investigation, the monitoring team discovered 4 additional cases of close contact with the patient who exhibited symptoms of sore throat, and 15 close contacts (F1).

According to the Thanh Hoa Provincial CDC, the outbreak in Doan Ket neighborhood (Muong Lat town) is becoming complicated due to the discovery of a case with an unknown source of infection.

The results of full vaccination coverage in Muong Lat in recent years have not met expectations due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the scarcity of diphtheria-containing vaccines; if not properly controlled, there is a risk of an outbreak.

Currently, the Thanh Hoa CDC is coordinating with the Muong Lat District Health Center to conduct epidemiological surveillance and investigation; carrying out investigations, monitoring, and compiling a list of F1 cases.

Instructions for environmental handling; collecting samples from suspected F1 cases for staining and microscopic examination at the Thanh Hoa CDC and the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for diagnostic testing.

The Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Health requests that media outlets provide accurate, complete, and reliable information about the disease situation; and disseminate information to raise public awareness and promote measures to prevent and control diphtheria according to the guidelines of the health authorities.

The People's Committee of Muong Lat district, the Health Center, the district general hospital, and other relevant agencies and units are fully implementing urgent measures to prevent and control diphtheria.

Immediately implement epidemiological investigation measures, cordon off affected areas, isolate and monitor contacts, and carry out diphtheria prevention and control measures as prescribed.

Muong Lat district is implementing measures to prevent and control diphtheria after a pregnant woman contracted the disease.

Relevant units and localities should urgently verify cases; conduct epidemiological investigations, cordon off affected areas, isolate and monitor contacts, and implement diphtheria prevention and control measures as prescribed.

Coordinate with the Lai Chau Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention and relevant provinces to conduct epidemiological investigations and vaccination history checks for the newly detected case in order to implement appropriate response measures.

Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital continues to effectively organize the admission, isolation, monitoring, and treatment of diphtheria cases in particular and other infectious diseases in general.

Health units in the province are strengthening measures to raise awareness, closely monitor the diphtheria situation in the area, detect cases early, and prepare plans for disease prevention and control.

Strengthen the screening of individuals who have not been vaccinated or have not received all the necessary diphtheria-containing vaccines, especially those in remote, border areas with limited access to healthcare services, in order to organize vaccinations according to the Ministry of Health's guidelines.

Authorities recall 206 cosmetic products that did not meet quality standards.

  On August 6, 2024, the Hanoi Department of Health issued document 3666/SYT-NVD announcing the suspension of circulation, recall, and destruction of 206 cosmetic products of Belux Vietnam Production and Trading Joint Stock Company.

206 products manufactured by Belux Vietnam Production and Trading Joint Stock Company (address: 57 Le Huu Tu Street, Nguyen Khe Commune, Dong Anh District) are listed in the product catalog attached to document No. 2622/QLD-MP dated July 31, 2024, from the Drug Administration of Vietnam, Ministry of Health (including the name and address of the organization responsible for bringing each product to market).

The reason is that the cosmetic products manufactured at the facility do not meet the prescribed conditions for cosmetic production.

Previously, on June 27, 2024, the Hanoi Department of Health issued Decision 2035/QD-SYT revoking the Certificate of Eligibility for Cosmetic Production of Belux Vietnam Production and Trading Joint Stock Company on the grounds that the company did not maintain the required conditions for cosmetic production.

On July 11, 2024, the Hanoi Department of Health issued Decision 2375/QD-SYT revoking the product declaration registration numbers for cosmetic products registered under the name of Belux Vietnam Production and Trading Joint Stock Company or authorized other organizations and individuals to declare and distribute cosmetic products in Vietnam.

The Hanoi Department of Health has notified all businesses and users of cosmetics in the area to urgently review and immediately cease the sale and use of the 206 products mentioned above. The Department of Health requests that the health departments of districts, counties, and towns inform businesses and users of cosmetics in their areas to recall all of the aforementioned products; and to inspect and monitor the recall process by these establishments (if any).

For the same reason—that the cosmetic product was manufactured at a facility that did not meet the prescribed conditions for cosmetic production—on August 5, 2024, the Department of Health also issued a notice suspending the circulation, recalling, and destroying the cosmetic product Massage Oil (brand name Dai Luc Hoang), Announcement No. 001715/21/CBMP-HCM, manufactured and marketed by: Le Van Cosmetics Production and Trading Co., Ltd., address 2B31/1 Hamlet 2, Pham Van Hai Commune, Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.