Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has issued an urgent dispatch on prevention and control of the hand-foot-mouth to slow the spread of the disease which is seeing a growing number of cases across the country. Since the beginning of the year, a total of 10,745 infections have been reported nationwide, resulting in 6,662 hospitalized cases, although no deaths have been confirmed. In comparison to the same period of 2019, the number of infections has fallen by 55.6%, while the number of hospitalized cases has decreased by 51.5%. The dispatch comes after many cities and provinces reported a sharp increase in infection numbers in recent weeks, including Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Danang, Quang Ngai, Hanoi, Vinh Phuc, Haiphong, and Bac Ninh. One of the characteristics of the disease is how it can spread quickly with students returning to school ahead of the new academic year, the MoH said, adding that there is currently no vaccine for the disease. The MoH has therefore asked local health departments to work closely alongside schools, especially kindergartens and preschools, to take preventive measures to stamp out any outbreaks of the disease. Schools have therefore been instructed to provide a supply of soap in bathrooms and ensure that students wash their hands frequently and thoroughly. It is therefore vital that schools early detect infected cases and notify local medical centers about cases immediately in order to conduct examinations and deal with any outbreaks in a swift manner. The MoH also urged local health departments to inform citizens to stay fed and hydrated, to maintain high standards of hygiene, make sure hands are kept clean, and children play with clean toys. Hospitals and healthcare centers are required to avoid disease cross-transmitting, while residents should be informed about different symptoms of the hand-foot-mouth disease, measles, and other respiratory infections. The MoH has asked healthcare centers nationwide to ensure a sufficient supply of medicine, materials, and equipment necessary for disease prevention and control. (VOV)
