According to the Ministry of Health, the whole country has recorded nearly 100,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease since the beginning of 2026, 2.5 times higher than the same period last year. Notably, in the past 4 weeks, there have been about 3,000 cases per week, the Ministry of Health warns of the risk of disease continuing to increase as children enter the new school year.
According to the Ministry of Health, the infectious disease surveillance system recorded nearly 100,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in the first 8.5 months of 2026, 2.5 times higher than the same period in 2025. In the past 4 weeks, the number of cases has maintained about 3,000 cases per week and is still at a high level in some localities, mainly large provinces and cities, especially in the Southern region.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common infectious disease in young children, capable of rapid spread in families, communities and in collective environments such as nurseries and kindergartens.
The disease circulates year-round but tends to increase in September and October. This is also the time when children start the new school year, increase contact and collective activities. If personal hygiene, environmental sanitation and early detection of cases are not well implemented, the risk of spreading may increase.
To proactively prevent hand, foot and mouth disease, the Department of Disease Prevention (Ministry of Health) recommends that parents, caregivers and educational institutions implement the "3 cleanliness" principle, including: Clean eating, clean living and clean hands.
Eat cleanly: Do not let children share personal belongings and eating utensils with other children. When children show signs of illness, it is necessary to let children take leave from school, limit close contact with other children and take children to medical facilities for examination and care guidance.
Stay clean: Regularly clean the house, classroom and children's play area. Toys, school supplies, tables and chairs, door handles, stair handrails and floors need to be wiped clean with soap or ordinary detergent. Living space needs to be ventilated and clean; waste and diapers of children must be collected and treated hygienically.
Clean hands: Children, parents and caregivers need to wash their hands regularly with soap and clean water, especially before preparing food, before eating or feeding children, after going to the toilet, changing diapers, cleaning children and after taking care of children with or suspected of having the disease.
The Department of Disease Prevention requests kindergartens, preschools and educational institutions to ensure sufficient clean water, soap and convenient hand washing places for children.
Schools need to maintain the habit of washing hands for children, regularly cleaning classrooms, toys, school supplies and surfaces children come into contact with. At the same time, teachers need to monitor children's health to detect early suspicious signs.
When children have symptoms of fever, mouth ulcers or blisters appearing on the palms of their hands, soles of their feet, knees, buttocks..., it is necessary to immediately notify parents to take the child to the doctor.
If many cases of illness or abnormal manifestations appear in the same class or group of children, educational institutions need to coordinate with local health agencies to implement appropriate prevention and control measures.
When suspecting children of hand, foot and mouth disease, parents need to let children stay home from school, limit contact with other children, do not share personal belongings and strengthen hygiene of hands, toys, objects, and surfaces that children regularly come into contact with.
In particular, it is necessary to take children to a medical facility immediately when abnormal signs appear such as high fever or fever that is difficult to lower, frequent startling, tremors in hands and feet, abnormal crying or lethargy, frequent vomiting, abnormal breathing or poor health status.
