According to the Hanoi City Center for Disease Control (CDC), in the past week (from August 15 to August 22), the whole city recorded 145 cases of dengue fever in 59 wards and communes; 0 deaths; an increase of 26 cases compared to the previous week (119 cases, 0 deaths).
The city recorded 64 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in 39 wards and communes (a decrease of 66 cases compared to last week), with no deaths. There were 8 measles cases in 5 wards and communes (a decrease of 8 cases compared to last week). COVID-19 recorded 6 cases (a decrease of 16 cases compared to last week). Hanoi CDC warns of increased risk of epidemics due to complicated weather and travel during the September 2 holiday as well as the approaching new school year. Health stations strengthen environmental sanitation, monitor cases in the community, implement prevention of dengue fever and Chikungunya disease through venom eradication, chemical spraying, and inter-sectoral coordination to prevent disease from animals to humans. At the same time, promote communication so that people can proactively prevent the epidemic.
Not only Hanoi, many localities across the country have organized training on school health work before the new school year such as Cao Bang, Ho Chi Minh City...
In particular, the dengue fever epidemic is at its peak, the Ministry of Education and Training issued a document directing the entire industry to urgently implement measures to protect students' health before the 2025-2026 school year. Departments of Education and Training are required to direct educational institutions to ensure environmental hygiene, eliminate mosquito breeding sites, maintain "3 clean" (clean eating, clean living, clean hands), coordinate with parents to monitor students' health, detect early signs of disease and immediately report to medical facilities. In particular, kindergartens must increase cleaning of classrooms, utensils, tables, chairs, and toys to prevent hand, foot and mouth disease. The education sector also emphasizes updating epidemiological information, ensuring airy classrooms, enough light and practicing the habit of hand washing with soap for students.
Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dac Phu - senior advisor of the Center for Public Health Events (Ministry of Health) warned that in the new school year 2025, there will be an increased risk of infectious diseases such as hand, foot and mouth disease, dengue fever, measles, whooping cough... when both the weather and the school environment can create favorable conditions for pathogens to circulate. On the other hand, increased exchanges and travel during the opening ceremony, along with a somewhat interrupted vaccination period after the COVID-19 pandemic, can reduce community immunity, while adding subjectivity leading to the risk of an outbreak.
According to the Ministry of Health, at the beginning of the school year, children often gather in large numbers in classrooms, boarding houses, dormitories and playgrounds, creating favorable conditions for many types of viruses and bacteria to spread. Some infectious diseases at risk of increasing include: seasonal flu, dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, measles, chickenpox and COVID-19.
The Ministry of Health requires local authorities to take full responsibility for epidemic prevention. Epidemic monitoring needs to be strengthened at border gates, communities and medical facilities; early detection of cases, timely handling, preventing new outbreaks.
