Cross-infection and complications
According to the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC), from March 13 to March 20, the whole city recorded 187 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease. Accumulated from the beginning of 2026, the total number of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in the area is 1,090 cases, an increase compared to the same period in 2025.
For many parents with young children, hand, foot and mouth disease is always a constant worry every epidemic season. Having witnessed her child get hand, foot and mouth disease twice, Ms. Bui My Ninh (Nghia Do ward, Hanoi) understands better than anyone the worry about unpredictable complications.
My 4-year-old eldest child has had hand, foot and mouth disease twice with many symptoms. During that time, he could not eat, and had a high fever, making both him and his parents tired. Because this disease is caused by many strains of viruses, children can get it many times, which is really a concern for us," Ms. Ninh recounted.
Having a young child just 6 months old, Ms. Vu Thi Duong (Thanh Xuan ward, Hanoi) shared: "I think every parent is worried because this disease is easily cross-infected at a rapid rate and has many dangerous complications. Especially for families with children going to school or sending them to nurseries, the risk of close contact is unavoidable.
Shield" but not subjective
In Decision No. 145/QD-QLD on issuing a list of 13 vaccines and biological products licensed and extended for circulation in Vietnam, the Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health) has approved the circulation of many new vaccines, including Envacgen vaccine for hand, foot and mouth disease caused by Enterovirus A71 (EV71) strain.
This information makes parents expect to have another "barrier" to protect children's health.
Ms. Ninh expressed: "I am very excited because if there is a vaccine, children will be better protected against epidemics. Currently, I just gave birth to my second child, so I am very looking forward to it and will definitely consider vaccinating my child. Experience from the first child shows that full vaccination helps children have a solid "barrier" to protect their health, and the family is also much more reassured thanks to that.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Prof. Dr. Bui Vu Huy - Senior Lecturer of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Hanoi Medical University - said that hand, foot and mouth disease is a disease transmitted through the digestive tract and young children are the group at high risk of contracting it. Not only children themselves, caregivers, and living environment also affect the transmission of the disease.
The disease is caused by many strains of viruses, so it is necessary to combine different measures to prevent it. In which, the Ministry of Health's licensing of the circulation of the hand, foot and mouth disease vaccine due to the EV71 virus - a strain that causes more complications and a higher mortality rate - will be one of the ways to protect children in the coming time," Prof. Dr. Bui Vu Huy shared.
However, Prof. Dr. Bui Vu Huy also noted that, in addition to vaccination, proactive disease prevention measures from parents to schools and childcare facilities are necessary. He recommended that parents and schools, childcare facilities need to closely coordinate in environmental sanitation and ensuring food safety.
In addition, children need to be trained in the habit of washing hands with soap and limiting risky behaviors such as crawling on the floor or sucking hands. In particular, adults need to raise personal hygiene awareness, because caregivers themselves can also be a source of infection for children.
