In just nearly 3 months of 2026, the whole country recorded more than 25,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease. More worryingly, 4 children died. The southern region alone accounts for nearly 72% of the total number of cases nationwide, continuing to be a hotspot for the epidemic. Ho Chi Minh City recorded nearly 11,000 cases in the first 12 weeks of the year, the number of severe cases from level 2B and above increased 5 times, along with 4 deaths. These numbers are enough to show the alarming level of this epidemic.
What worries experts is not only the rapid increase in the number of cases, but also the recurrence of Enterovirus A71 (EV71) - a virus strain that often causes severe complications, can affect nerves, cardiovascular system, respiratory system and lead to death. When the dangerous pathogen returns right at the time of entering the outbreak cycle, the risk is even greater for young children, especially children from 1 to 5 years old - a age group that does not have self-protection awareness and lives concentrated in nurseries and kindergartens.
This reality shows that hand, foot and mouth disease has never been as "mild" as many people thought. Many parents are still used to seeing the disease through a few red spots, a few mouth ulcers and then think that just taking care at home is enough. But the distance from a common case to severe progression, especially with EV71 strain, is sometimes very short. Just a slow detection or being subjective with warning signs, the consequences can be very serious.
Therefore, the Ministry of Health issuing urgent instructions to localities at this time is necessary. But administrative direction, no matter how drastic, will not be enough if vigilance is not started from each family, each class, and each preschool facility.
Lessons from many previous epidemic seasons show that the easiest places to break out are not hospitals but childcare centers, kindergartens, and family children's groups - places where children come into close contact, share toys, and participate in collective activities, but hygiene awareness still completely depends on adults. An unwashed toy, a surface of tables and chairs that is not properly disinfected, or a pair of hands that have not been thoroughly washed with soap, can all become links that spread germs.
Therefore, recommendations such as "eat clean, live clean, hands clean, toys clean" sound simple, but they are the most important defense line. It is worth mentioning that these measures are not new, not difficult, and not as expensive as treating severe cases. The difficulty lies in whether to maintain seriousness and regularity or not.
From the health sector's perspective, the requirement to strengthen supervision, early detection, thorough handling of outbreaks, zoning treatment, close monitoring of severe cases and controlling cross-infection in hospitals is completely correct. But from a social perspective, hand, foot and mouth disease prevention cannot be just the job of the health sector. It is also the responsibility of schools, caregivers, parents and the community.
