Number of cases increasing
At Can Tho City Children's Hospital, a final-line pediatric hospital in the Mekong Delta region (Mekong Delta), statistics on dengue fever cases in the first 3 months of 2026 tend to increase sharply compared to the same period. In March, the hospital received 156 outpatients and 238 inpatients. Summarizing data from the beginning of the year to date, the unit received 503 outpatients (up 85% compared to the same period in 2025), 737 outpatients (up 334% compared to the same period in 2025). Notably, severe dengue fever cases have reached 78 cases, while in 2025 there were only 11 cases.
According to Specialist Doctor 2 Nguyen Huynh Nhat Truong (Head of Dengue Fever Department, Children's Hospital of Can Tho City), in reality, treatment has cases where parents are subjective when taking care of children at home, leading to serious illness, and when they are brought to the hospital, it is too late, and the child has dengue fever shock. At this time, treatment is very difficult and complicated. When the child has new strange symptoms, the family should admit them to the hospital because here, children are examined and monitored regularly, and when the child has abnormal signs, they are treated immediately.
Regarding preventive medicine work, in the face of the complicated developments of the epidemic, the Can Tho Health sector has made efforts to promote measures.
Specialist Doctor I Huynh Thanh Trieu (in charge of the General Clinic - specialty of the Can Tho City Center for Disease Control) - said that the Ministry of Health has licensed the circulation of the dengue fever vaccine and through implementation, some Can Tho people have come to the unit to get vaccinated. "However, because it is a new vaccine, people's access is still limited. We recommend that people, especially parents, should study, can refer to the communication channels and advice of doctors to get vaccinated against dengue fever" - Dr. Trieu shared.
According to Dr. Trieu, the dengue fever situation in 2025 is complicated, while the Mekong Delta is preparing to enter the rainy season, people should pay attention to personal health care, especially for young children.
Workers hope for subsidies
Currently in Can Tho City, the price of dengue fever vaccine ranges from 1,100,000 - 1,400,000 VND/dose, with a two-dose course (the second dose is given 3 months after the first dose). In general, this price level is suitable for workers with average incomes but is a high threshold for workers who are having to tighten their belts.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Loan (worker in Can Tho City) - informed that her family has proactively researched the vaccine, but when looking at the price list, they are hesitant. Because the normal price for one child in some places is up to 2.8 million VND, a family with two children is 5.6 million VND. That number is equal to nearly one month's basic salary of workers and is even more difficult for tenants.
At night in the boarding house area, the sound of mosquitoes buzzing continuously is very worrying. We are most afraid of our children getting sick because once our child is hospitalized, there are all kinds of expenses, now we only know how to be proactive in taking care of our health," Ms. Loan confided.
That is not only Ms. Loan's heartfelt voice, but also the thoughts of many other workers living in areas prone to epidemics. Most workers in difficult circumstances with young children expressed their desire to have vaccine subsidy policies and guaranteed living areas to feel secure in their work.
