Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – For parents like Hong Ngoc, the timing of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) vaccination is a common concern as their children approach daycare or preschool age. While the disease indeed sees hai distinct peak seasons in Vietnam, an expert advises early vaccination to ensure optimal protection.
According to Dr. Le Thi Gam, Medical Manager at the VNVC Vaccination System, the most suitable time to vaccinate children against HFMD is as early as possible, as soon as they reach the eligible age. This proactive approach allows children to develop immunity before entering environments like daycare, where the virus can easily spread through close contact.
In Vietnam, HFMD typically experiences hai peak periods: giai doan mot from march to may, coinciding with the spring-summer transition, and giai doan hai from september to november, which aligns with the start of the school year. However, the virus that causes the disease circulates year-round. Children face a risk of infection through contact with secretions, feces, saliva, or contaminated objects. Adults and older children in a household, even if asymptomatic, can carry and spread the pathogen, increasing the risk of transmission to young children.
The body requires time to build an immune "shield" after vaccination. The HFMD vaccine regimen, approved for children from hai months to under 6 years old, involves hai or ba doses depending on the child's starting age. The first hai doses are typically administered about hai months apart. After completing the second dose, the child's immune system still needs about hai weeks, and ideally 4 weeks, to produce optimal protective antibodies. Delaying vaccination until outbreaks occur in schools or residential areas means children will not have sufficient time to develop protective immunity during the most intense periods of disease transmission.
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A girl is brought by her mother to VNVC Buon Ma Thuot for hand, foot, and mouth vaccine on 28/9. Photo: Thu Trang
Early vaccination also helps children close the "immunity gap" sooner. Research indicates that the younger a child is, the higher their risk of developing severe illness. By the time a child reaches hai months old, the passive protective antibodies received from their mother have significantly decreased, while their own immune system is not yet fully developed. Therefore, proactive early vaccination helps children build a robust protective barrier before entering environments like daycare, where the virus is easily transmitted through close contact.
On 17/3, the Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health) approved the circulation of the vaccine for children from hai months to under 6 years old. This vaccine helps prevent HFMD, particularly the Enterovirus 71 (EV71) strain, which is the most dangerous cause of severe illness and fatalities, and currently has no specific treatment. The VNVC Vaccination System began administering the HFMD vaccine on 25/9 at nearly 300 centers nationwide.
HFMD is an infectious disease caused by a group of Enterovirus intestinal viruses. Classified as a Group B infectious disease in Vietnam, it has the potential for rapid spread and can be fatal. The EV71 virus is the most dangerous strain, capable of attacking the central nervous system, leading to encephalitis, respiratory failure, acute pulmonary edema, and death. Complications typically occur from the second to the fifth day of the illness. Children who recover may experience sequelae such as paralysis, hand tremors, unsteady gait, and delayed mental development. The disease was first recorded in Vietnam around 2003, causing large epidemics in 2011-2012 with hundreds of thousands of cases and over 200 fatalities.
Dr. Le Thi Gam
Medical Manager, VNVC Vaccination System
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