Viet Nam was grappling with a large number of measles cases when Australian global public health expert Dr Ann Burton and medical epidemiologist Dr Madeleine Marsland were deployed by the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).
Their mission under the World Health Organization’s GOARN deployment was to support the ongoing response to measles in Viet Nam, as well as contribute to strategies for the country to eventually eliminate the disease.
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Normally with Australia’s National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), epidemiologists Dr Ann Burton, left, and Dr Madeleine Marsland worked with Viet Nam Ministry of Health officials under their deployment with Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) to tackle measles for good. Photo credit: WHO / Chi Nguyen
For the past decades, Viet Nam has faced resurgences in measles about every five years. In 2024 and 2025, the number of children sick with measles was especially high because of a 20-year low in Viet Nam’s traditionally high routine childhood vaccination rates, after COVID-19 pandemic disruptions and stock-outs. This gap left people vulnerable to measles, which is one of the most contagious viruses. The condition can be particularly severe for babies and children under 5.
Vaccination rates bounced back remarkably, thanks to strong Government leadership, great efforts by health-care workers, and support from parents and the community. In 2024, Viet Nam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. In fact, immunization coverage in Viet Nam not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Despite these gains, gaps in vaccination remain.
During their deployment, the specialists, both from Australia’s National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), not only supported the immediate response but also made recommendations to help Viet Nam prepare for the future.
Their work combined documentation review, data analysis, interviews with more than 60 stakeholders and visits to provinces.
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A highlight was meeting grassroots health-care workers, such as at My Loc Commune Health station. Photo credit: WHO
“This deployment reminded me just how fragile progress can be,” said Dr Burton.
“Measles remains a fast-moving, highly transmissible threat. So, as well as maintaining high routine immunisation coverage in every part of the country and in every community, Viet Nam needs to enhance its capacity to quickly identify and respond to any new cases. These steps are crucial in keeping children safe, and achieving elimination,” she said.
Working with the Ministry of Health and other partners, and drawing on global and Regional evidence, the two experts made recommendations to strengthen routine immunization coverage, surveillance systems, and outbreak response for measles and rubella.
Dr Marsland said recommendations were tailored to the context in Viet Nam.
“It was the strength of local knowledge and commitment that truly shaped our recommendations, including the expertise of staff at the Ministry of Health who supported and helped coordinate our GOARN mission plan. It was a privilege to work so closely with health staff,” said Dr Marsland, whose deployment was generously supported by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Dr Marsland said a highlight was visiting grassroots health-care centres.
“I especially valued our time in Thanh Hoa, a northern coastal province, where we visited hospitals, the office of the Centre for Disease Control and commune health stations. The dedication of local health teams was remarkable. Everyone we met was eager to learn from the outbreak and prevent the next one.”
Dr Marsland is grateful to be staying on in Viet Nam for a short while to use the duo’s initial recommendations to support the development of a national immunization strategy, and a national measles and rubella immunization strategy.
WHO Representative in Viet Nam Dr Angela Pratt said, “Viet Nam’s response to drops in routine childhood vaccination over the last two years has been incredibly impressive. Building on this success, WHO has been delighted to support the deployment of two experts through GOARN, with thanks to the Government of Australia, to help plan how to achieve measles elimination, for a safer and healthier future.”
NCIRS Director Professor Kristine Macartney said, “The deployment of Dr Burton and Dr Marsland to support Viet Nam’s measles outbreak response through GOARN is a testament to the commitment and expertise of NCIRS to collaboratively support countries in the Asia Pacific region. Their work not only contributed to vital public health efforts in Viet Nam, but also enriched NCIRS through the insights and experience they gained.”
"GOARN deployments offer our staff unique opportunities to collaborate internationally, strengthen outbreak response skills, and bring back valuable knowledge that enhances our national and regional work in immunisation and surveillance.”
WHO’s support for strengthening measles work in Viet Nam also includes the procurement of an emergency supply of more than 1 million doses of measles-rubella vaccines, as part of a campaign for outbreak response and supplementary immunization activities in highest-risk areas. This procurement was made possible with the support of DFAT and other donors.
About GOARN
To date, GOARN includes over 320 partners globally, with 87 in the Western Pacific Region. GOARN’s mission is to provide rapid multi-disciplinary technical support for outbreak response to communities and health authorities globally. GOARN partners represent a broad range of organizations, including ministries of health, national public health institutes, medical and surveillance networks. For more information, go to the GOARN pages on WHO’s website.