Immediately after the Ministry of Health permitted the rollout of the EV71 hand, foot and mouth disease vaccine starting September 25, numerous parents brought their children to immunization facilities for consultation and vaccination to proactively protect them against the pathogen and severe complications.
On the first day of the vaccination campaign in Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Duc Quy, a resident of Hoa Hung Ward, brought his 23-month-old son to receive the vaccine. Emphasizing the importance of early protection, parent Nguyen Duc Quy said he decided to have his child vaccinated as soon as the preventive vaccine became available.
“Knowing that a preventive vaccine is available, I brought my child for early vaccination to proactively protect him and feel more at ease when he goes to school,” he said.
Records show that following the rollout of the hand, foot and mouth disease vaccine, tens of thousands of registration slots have been booked daily at immunization centers nationwide, with children under 3 years old accounting for approximately 70 percent.
Doctor Truong Huu Khanh, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Infectious Disease Association, said Vietnam's introduction of the hand, foot and mouth disease vaccine into immunization programs is a long-awaited solution for the pediatric community. After vaccination, children may have common reactions such as fatigue, mild fever, pain, or swelling at the injection site. These reactions are similar to those of many other vaccines and generally subside on their own, serving as a sign that the body is generating an immune response.
"Since this is a new vaccine, monitoring data indicates a protection duration of about 5 years and it only prevents EV71—a critical pathogen associated with severe and fatal hand, foot and mouth disease cases—rather than preventing all pathogens causing hand, foot and mouth disease," doctor Truong Huu Khanh informed.
The hand, foot and mouth disease vaccine is indicated for children from 2 months to under 6 years of age, with a schedule of 2 to 3 doses depending on the age.
