Following a polio outbreak in neighboring Laos that has raised Vietnam’s risk of cross-border infection, the Deputy Prime Minister has signed off on a prime ministerial directive pushing for tougher vaccination drives and tighter disease surveillance nationwide.
According to the Ministry of Health, Laos recently recorded one case of acute flaccid paralysis testing positive for vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (VDPV1). Two additional positive cases were later detected among 28 healthy children. In October 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially announced that Laos had declared a polio epidemic and assessed Vietnam as being at high risk of the virus entering the country.
The location where the outbreak occurred in Laos is just 164 kilometers from Quang Tri Province in Vietnam, prompting the WHO to recommend that the Southeast Asian nation further strengthen its polio prevention and preparedness measures.
Given this situation, the Prime Minister has requested chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees to closely monitor local developments and conduct thorough risk assessments. Each locality is required to prepare proactive and practical response plans to address the potential risk of polio outbreaks. Local governments must also intensify polio vaccination efforts particularly catch-up campaigns for children in high-risk, low-coverage, or hard-to-reach areas, including ethnic minority and mountainous communities with the goal of achieving a vaccination rate of over 95 percent at communes in line with the Ministry of Health’s targets and WHO recommendations.
The Minister of Health has been directed to guide and support localities in accelerating the implementation of polio vaccination programs, ensuring the availability and timely distribution of sufficient vaccine supplies.
The Ministry is also tasked with strengthening surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis in children under 15 years old and enhancing environmental monitoring to identify areas where poliovirus may be circulating. Any detected outbreaks must be handled swiftly and thoroughly to prevent further transmission.
In addition, the Ministry of Health will continue coordinating closely with international organizations to monitor the regional polio situation. The Prime Minister’s directive emphasizes the need for cross-sector cooperation, with the Ministry of Education and Training instructed to work with the health sector to implement school-based prevention measures.
Educational institutions are required to promote vaccination awareness, encourage families to ensure their children are fully immunized according to schedule, and review the vaccination records of all students under 15 years old to administer catch-up doses where necessary.
These efforts reflect Vietnam’s determination to safeguard public health and maintain its polio-free status amid regional disease developments. Authorities at all levels are urged to remain vigilant, mobilize resources, and ensure that prevention and control measures are implemented effectively and consistently across the country.
