Vietnam rolls out its first vaccine targeting hand, foot and mouth disease

Children in Vietnam now have access to the country’s first vaccine against EV71, a virus linked to many severe cases of hand, foot and mouth disease. The VNVC vaccination network began offering it nationwide on 25 September for children aged two months to under six years.

Reported results from a late-stage clinical trial involving more than 3,000 children, most of them Vietnamese, showed 96.8% efficacy against hand, foot and mouth disease caused by EV71. Children receive two or three doses, depending on their age when vaccination begins.

The new option arrives as Vietnam has recorded nearly 100,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease so far this year, about 2.5 times the number in the same period last year. The illness spreads easily in nurseries and preschools. Most children recover within days, but EV71 can cause serious complications.

The vaccine does not cover every virus that causes the disease. Experts therefore stress that handwashing, cleaning toys and surfaces, and avoiding contact with people who are ill remain important. Vaccination adds another layer of prevention rather than replacing those everyday protections.